Wrecks
by DeedeeSmith
Summary: Sam has a nightmare...again that won't leave him alone. Children are at risk as is a brother's life.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Concerned Mother**

**A/N: I heard about this and just had to write it, please forgive me, it's 3 in the morning. I got this idea from a story I heard while I was camping! Seriously…I just inserted the boys**

It had to be at least three in the morning, the scenery that was flying by meshed from woods to highway and back again. Sam was leaning back in his seat, trying desperately to be asleep. He really wanted to rest, he really did, but the sandman must have a grudge against the Winchester family.

Dean had his music up as loud as it could go, but when he saw Sam trying, in vain to sleep he toned it down a few notches. Sam tried not to laugh at his brother's indirect show of affection, but in his head he was grateful that Ozzy Osbourne could finally stop yelling at him.

He nodded off to that place between the waking world and dreams. Everything seemed softer somehow, more pleasant. The world, the things they faced, they all became easier to face in this cloud. Sam knew that this feeling wouldn't last for long, eventually he had to face his tumultuous dreams, and one angry sandman.

The softness faded and the harsh lines of nightmares sliced in, everything seemed so real, _too_ real. He was sitting in the Impala, his eyes were closed, and the usual music was drifting out of the speakers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but his head hurt and he didn't know why. He struggled to open his eyes, and found it harder to do so then he expected. When he did he felt something warm running down his forehead. He lifted his hand to it and brought it in front of his dizzy eyes. It was blood, the smell of it was everywhere, and it was making Sam sick. Only then did he realize what had happened to his brother's beloved car. The Impala was crushed, completely smashed between two formidable looking eighteen wheelers one from behind and one in the front. It was as if they had intentionally crushed the brothers. Beating the life out of them, and enjoying it. Sam moaned in pain and scanned the interior for Dean. All he saw was a hand lying limply on the steering wheel. Panic rose in his chest and he forced his aching body to sit up, he saw Dean's crumpled body in the seat, blood was everywhere. _Oh, God no_. There was glass in his hair blood and dirt smeared on his face, his entire lower body wasn't visible, and Sam nearly threw up when he realized why. It wasn't attached; Dean's torso and legs lay on the floor a good foot away from the rest of him, his one foot still desperately pushing the gas, as if he could drive away from this still. Sam wanted to look away but Dean's lifeless eyes held his gaze and as he felt himself let out a shaky sigh, he couldn't help but think that he would be the dead one, if only Dean had let him drive…

"Sam!" That voice brought him back from the dream, and Dean's face was the most welcome sight he could have seen. It was going to be alright, his brother was there, he _knew_ that Dean wouldn't leave, wouldn't die like that. Sam groaned and rubbed his eyes. The car had slowed to a crawl on deserted asphalt. Dean had one hand on the wheel and the other on Sam's shoulder, a curious look on his face.

"What?" Sam grunted forcing himself to sit back up in his chair. It was still dark out, the first hints of light still trapped behind the horizon. He looked out the window and all he saw was road. A slight shiver went up his spine, but he forced it back down and turned his gaze to where his brother was pointing through the windshield. There, on their left was a wreck. It was horrific; the little red sedan was wrapped around a tree. The front end was completely mutilated, and glass littered the ground around it. Both of the back tires were flat, and all of the windows had shattered. The doors and almost all of the rest of the car's body were crumpled like tinfoil.

Standing next to the car was a hysterical woman. How she had made it out of the vehicle Sam couldn't fathom. There was a long cut running from her hairline to her chin that was oozing blood. Her gray skirt and white top was blotched in various spots with a nauseating brownish substance. Her eyes were wild as she jumped up and down, trying to flag the boys down. Sam nodded and Dean pulled in about five feet from the former family car. Right away the woman ran over, she was breathing hard, tears soaking her cheeks, causing the blood on her face to run down her neck in streaks of red.

"Please, my baby!" She cried, pounding her fists on the car window frantically. Dean immediately jumped out, Sam followed a bit more slowly, it took him a few seconds to fully comprehend what was going on. He missed what the woman said to Dean, but the look on his brother's face was hard to ignore.

"Where?" Dean asked and the woman turned to him letting out a shaky sob.

"In the back seat!" She wailed falling to her knees, her head in her hands. The brothers exchanged looks.

"Sam, you stay with her… I'll see if I can get the tyke out" Dean said casting a sympathetic glance towards the grieving mother and an apprehensive one towards the wreckage. Neither one of them expected the little baby to make it out alive. Sam knelt down beside the woman and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, she was so cold.

"How did this happen?" He asked and the woman didn't lift her head, she just sobbed, her answer inaudible through the tears. Sam sighed and his gaze drifted over to Dean and the car.

He had wrenched open what was left of the back left door. It was hanging by a single hinge and was badly crumpled; things didn't look good for the baby. Dean's head disappeared through the door, his hands fumbling around in the dark interior. He finally touched something soft; it was the plush lining of a car seat. _Please be alive._ He couldn't tell if the little form in the seat was breathing and a dead baby was not something Dean wanted to deal with.

He felt his way to the buckle of the car seat and unlatched it carefully. It was still in place, and to his delight he heard a small coo. The baby seemed to be in a protected circle of the car, the only part of the sedan that hadn't been completely destroyed. It was like a womb of protection, or some sort of force field had encased the little thing. He felt the clothes of the tiny baby, and wrapped his hands around its slight body. He raised it ever so slowly out of the car, avoiding the glass and metal shards around him. He held it up in the pale moonlight and saw that it was a baby girl.

She had a few black curls on top of her little head, and the bluest eyes Dean had ever seen. He could feel her breathing and he let out a sigh of relief. It troubled him that she wasn't crying and he searched for any injuries on her. She was spattered with blood but he couldn't see a wound anywhere. Her eyes moved, but she still wasn't crying, poor thing must be in shock. He hoisted her into his arms, carrying her awkwardly back to the Impala like a tiny trophy.

Sam was standing there, leaning against the side of the shiny black car, his cell phone to his ear his eyes on the ground.

"Yes, that's right a car wreck…I don't know where exactly…yes…two people…okay, thank you." He finished the call and hung up. Dean raised his eyebrows, demanding an explanation with his look. "They traced my cell signal; an ambulance is on the way." Dean nodded and smirked in triumph,

"This one is still alive" he said holding out the girl to Sam, who took her and held her, like he knew exactly what to do. Dean rolled his eyes at his brothers mothering, and scanned the area for the real mother. "Where is she?" Dean asked and Sam's head snapped back up from the big blue eyed baby.

"Who?" Sam asked and Dean scoffed,

"The mother, wasn't she with you?" Sam whipped his head around but didn't see any sign of the injured woman.

"She was, I told her I was calling 911…she was here when I dialed." Dean felt a sinking sensation in his stomach; he had a feeling where this was going. He took a deep breath and headed back for the mangled car. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, as the soft wail of the approaching ambulance rang in his ears. But when he saw it he cringed. There, in the drivers seat was the bleeding, distorted corpse of the concerned mother, her eyes rolled back in her head, but there was a slight smile on her face.


	2. Let Me Drive

The police station was nearly empty; one lone officer remained hauling through the last hours of the graveyard shift. He was almost finished the extensive paperwork that seemed to be the only thing he had done if fifty years, when his radio crackled to life, a groggy commissioner on the other end. "Collins, we've got a wreck out on highway 14" the voice buzzed over the walkie-talkie, officer Drake Collins rubbed his forehead with his calloused hand, he thought that his night would be over soon, now he had to deal with some kids running into a telephone pole. The tired policeman sighed and replied shortly,

"I'm on my way" he said with a sigh. When Collins got to the scene, the ambulance was already there, wheeling a corpse on a gurney out of the wreckage which was blocked off with yellow tape. Out of the corner of his eye Collins saw a little girl being held close by an empty looking man who was standing next to the flashing vehicle. "Excuse me, sir" Collins started out in the most soothing voice that he could muster, this man obviously wasn't one of the medical workers. He looked at the officer with hollow eyes filled with apathy and detachment. "Umm, can you give me some details about what happened here?" He asked as a few medics ran by them with stern looks on their faces. The man shuddered and gripped the little tighter to his chest.

"My wife ran into a tree" he said dryly, staring ahead at nothing. Collins immediately regretted his decision to talk to this man and sought out a professional who was less occupied. He found a medic in the ambulance who was packing away a few hostile looking instruments, she offered him a weak smile as he peered into the ambulance.

"Can I help you?" She asked and he nodded flashing her his badge.

"So the driver hit a tree?" He asked and the medic nodded,

"Yeah, smashed the entire car up pretty bad, it's amazing that the little baby made it out without a scratch." He nodded and jotted down a few notes for his report,

"Was she intoxicated?" He asked and the medic shrugged.

"Autopsy might be able to find that out, but we did find a few crumpled grocery bags in the trunk, it looked like she was running errands." He raised his eyebrows,

"At this time of night?" The woman shook her head,

"I guess so" she clucked finishing her work and shaking her head.

"Who reported the accident?" He asked and the medic thought for a moment…

"He didn't leave his name, but when the ambulance got here there were two men, one of them was holding the little girl. They had gotten her out of the car and wrapped her up in a shabby blue blanket, it was actually cute… but then we saw the mother." Her eyes grew dark and she moved to climb out of the car. He moved out of her way and nodded,

"I see. Where are they now?" She shrugged,

"They took off after giving their statements."

_It was dark out, but the air was warm. Sam and Dean were striding down a dusty dirt road towards the Impala at around midnight. Dean had a shotgun slung across his shoulder and was swaggering confidently, a triumphant smirk on his lips. _

_"Dude, did you see that thing? It was freakin' huge!" Sam smiled weakly, the knife in his inner coat pocket weighing heavily on his steps. "Fast too" Dean continued, "but not as fast as us, right?" Dean's smirk grew at his brother, expecting a confident response; instead Sam was studying the ground, and he refused to look at his brother's face. "Earth to Sam" Dean said unlocking the trunk and easing in the shotgun. _

_"Right" Sam mumbled finally looking up. Dean's face was smeared with mud, they had spent most of the night tracking down a chupacabra like creature. They had killed the bitch, but Sam had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he felt like something bad was going to happen, something he couldn't stop. Dean closed the trunk and walked around to the drivers side, jingling his keys out of his pocket. Sam walked to the passenger side out of habit, but when he saw the keys in Dean's hand the feeling in his stomach grew from uneasiness to violent panic. His eyes grew wide, but he didn't open the door, in fact he refused to move from his spot by the passenger's side. _

_"Dude, are you getting in or what?" Dean asked, his door was open but he hadn't gotten in yet. Sam looked at him, his eyes wild with fear. _

_"Let me drive." He said, his eyes fixed intently on the gleaming metal keys. _

_"What? No, Sam are you okay?" Dean asked Sam's gaze didn't waver, _

_"Let me drive" he said again. Dean furrowed his brow and laughed, _

_"Come on, man, you are not driving. Now get in." He threw himself into the car and refused to hear the recalcitrant pleas of his brother. Sam got in reluctantly but the panic in his chest did not subside. It started drizzling and Dean flicked on the windshield wipers. Sam was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat and it was beginning to annoy Dean. "What is wrong with you?" Dean asked and Sam clenched his eyes shut as if he was in pain. _

_"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine." He lied, the anxiousness growing to almost an excruciating point. _

_"Okay, man." Dean said tearing his eyes off of his brother and fixing them back onto the road. Sam saw the soft glow of approaching headlights, but Dean apparently didn't, _

_"Dean" Sam mumbled, and Dean's head immediately whipped around to his brother, his eyes full of worry, "Dean…watch out" Sam groaned the pain in his chest bubbling over and causing his voice to be only slightly above a whisper. Dean didn't look away from his brother, even as the horn of the oncoming double wide blasted in Sam's ears. Dean seemed unfazed. _

_"Sam, what is it? What's wrong?" Dean asked. Sam pried open his eyes and let out a gasp. The oncoming truck was only a few feet away from the car. _

_"Dean…the truck" Sam gasped out, it felt like all of the air had been sucked from his lungs. Dean looked out the windshield, but apparently he didn't see anything. _

_"Are you okay, man?" Dean asked, Sam looked in the rear-view mirror and saw the eighteen wheeler coming up on them from behind. The lights were shining brightly into the Impala, both horns were blaring at an inhuman level. How could Dean not see them? Not hear them? They were going to be crushed and Dean didn't seem to see that. Sam forced down the building pain that was surging through his entire body and screamed. _

"DEAN!" His eyes flew open and he greedily gulped down the desperately needed air. The pain seemed to have vanished from his limbs, and both trucks seemed to have disappeared as well. He was panting and it took him a few seconds to gain his bearings. He was in a cramped motel room in a rather lumpy bed with stuffy air that smelled like cigarettes. He sat up and ran his hands through his hair taking a few deep breaths to calm down. A few seconds later the lights clicked on. And Sam reluctantly met the eyes of a concerned Dean.

"Sam?" He asked groggily, "what… was that?" Sam let out a long, low breath and shook his head.

"Nothing" Sam insisted, not very convincingly. Dean blinked,

"Dude, you were screaming my name" Sam cursed his open-lipped psyche.

"We were in the car, and there were these trucks…" his voice trailed off and Dean nodded,

"It was only a dream" he sighed lying back down and switched off the lights again. Sam had just lied back down and was getting comfortable again when a soft ring snapped him back from the hazy half dream world he was settling into. Sam heard the bed next to his squeak and muttered obscenities as Dean sat up.

"Someone does _not_ want me to sleep tonight" Dean grumbled as he flipped open the phone. "Hello?" He groused. His eyes immediately were cleared of the sleep that lingered in them as he heard the static-ridden voice over the other end, "yeah…okay…are you sure?" The answer was apparently not what Dean wanted to hear and he let out a slight sigh of frustration, "alright, yeah… no, no he's not here…he's wrapped up with another gig right now…yeah, yeah it's too bad, but Sam's here though." Dean's face fell; and his characteristic smirk was wiped off of his face, "four kids, huh?" He shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, okay…defiantly. We'll be there." He hung up and eased out of the bed, throwing on some jeans and his jacket.

"Who was that?" Sam asked, grudgingly throwing off the covers.

"Evan Boone, Cee Vee Texas." Dean said shortly, getting their bags together quickly.

"Texas? Fun." Sam said sarcastically tossing on some clothes and catching the duffle bag that Dean threw at him.

"Yeah, something is –uh- taking children…" Dean cleared his throat and his voice trailed off as he headed for the door. Sam sighed; dead kids were never easy to deal with, even for the toughest of hunters. That explained Dean's urgency and the look on is face. They didn't pay their fee; there wasn't anybody at the counter when they walked out. They just up and left and were in the car before Sam realized what had happened, and who was driving.


	3. Crash

At six in the morning, the day after the crash Officer Collins dropped into bed filled with sleeping pills and a beer or two. He was drifting into a medicated sleep, fully prepared to not wake up until three the next afternoon, when his cell phone rang penetrated his pillow. He groaned loudly and blindly reached for the source of the noise. Flipping open the phone in his voice was the exhaustion of a sleepless night of work.

"Collins" he barked. The voice on the other end was enraged; he could hear the anger bubbling under the veneer of calm.

"This is Henry Wallace" the voice stated. Collins had no idea who this man was, and waited irritated, for Henry to explain himself. "I was informed at five this morning that my wife was in a car wreck!"

"How did you get this number?" Collins asked rubbing his forehead with his hand,

"The police commissioner told me you were at the scene of the accident" the man said his voice shaking with anger, and sadness. _I must remember to shoot him in the head _Collins thought.

"Yeah, yeah, I was there…Mr. Wallace, I saw you there too." The voice on the other end broke into a fit of sad laughter.

"I didn't know about the accident until five this morning." He bleated. Collins sat up in his bed, doubt sketched across his face.

"What?" He stammered, unable to comprehend what Henry was saying.

"I got a call from my best friend offering his condolences at five in the morning! Apparently he knew about the accident before I did! My wife is dead and no one seems to know where my Kailey…my daughter is" Collins let out a low breath as the realization hit him,

"Sir, I'm afraid that your daughter may be in danger."

* * *

At around twelve thirty the brothers pulled into a town that looked straight out of a Tim Burton movie. The buildings were gray; the sky was a depressing shade of light blue. There were about forty houses in a circle along with a store that sold vague household accoutrements. Off to the left there was a small ranch with a red pick-up truck in the gravel driveway. Sam hadn't slept the entire way to Cee Vee, images of eighteen wheelers plaguing him, headlights blaring on the inside of his eyelids.

"Here we are" Dean said pulling up to the ranches driveway and rolling the Impala to a stop. Sam nodded groggily and climbed out of the car. The ranch was very well taken care of, everything was in its place and a small garden to the side of the house was the smattering of color in the otherwise white washed street.

"How do you know this guy again?" Sam asked as they walked to the ranch door. Dean smirked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"He had a chupacabra eating up his cattle a few years back, Dad and I killed it for him" Sam nodded, the name of the monster turning his attention back to his nightmare.

"So, what does he think is going on now?" Dean's eyes grew dark and he sighed,

"Well, there has been three car wrecks in five days, each involving a mother and child. The mother is killed and the child…disappears." Sam gulped as they walked up the wooden porch steps,

"Were their bodies found?" Sam asked and Dean frowned as he knocked on the door,

"Nope" he said as footsteps from inside the house could be heard approaching.

"So, why does he think this is our kind of thing?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged as the door swung open,

"That's what we're here to find out."

* * *

Collins had forced himself out of the comfort of his bed, trying to ignore the fact that he would be asleep if he had only turned off his cell phone. Now, he was throwing on his jacket and rushing to figure out what the hell had happened to the little girl. The man holding her had said, "My wife hit a tree" hadn't he? It was the husband…wasn't it? Now that little girl was in trouble, and Collins had no idea what to do. He had been on the job for three years and all he had done was paperwork, he'd never really dealt with a robber, or a murderer, let alone a baby kidnapper. He stumbled to the car, his head was hazy and he had a nice buzz going on, but a sharp pain of fear eased his way into his throat, a little girl was out there somewhere in the hands of some weirdo. He drove to the hospital to speak with the medics that were on the job that night. He finally found the same woman who he talked to in the ambulance in the waiting room and immediately pulled her aside.

"Excuse me, miss. I'm Officer Collins… from the crash on highway 14" she nodded in recognition,

"Oh, yea, what can I help you with?" She asked and he sighed, not sure how to put his predicament into words.

"The man that took the little girl home that night… Who was it?" The medic frowned in thought,

"He said he was Henry Wallace, he had a driver's license and everything." Collins frowned; apparently this man had done his homework.

"Do you remember where exactly this man was from?" The medic shook her head,

"Umm, his license was from Texas, but that's not too far away from the crash site." Collins frowned; Texas was a good four hours away from the spot on highway 14, there was no way that that man could have arrived so quickly.

"Where, exactly in Texas?" He asked and she nodded,

"I remember, funny little name…Dee Bee….no, Cee Vee, yeah, Cee Vee Texas."

* * *

Evan Boone was an aging cowboy, no question. He was the quintessential middle-agedMarlboro man, a wide brimmed hat on his head and leather boots that matched his skin. His voice was gravel and his demeanor was icy, but he seemed to like Dean. He led them into his house, which was nothing less then pristine. Nothing was out of its place, and the dull earth tones colors gave off the feel that they were walking through a very clean cave.

"Thank you boys for coming out here on such short notice." He said as he walked into the living room, motioning for them to sit down on a leather couch across from a wicker chair that he sat in stiffly.

"No problem" Dean said sitting down,

"These wrecks had me worried something seemed…not quite right." He sat with a sigh, "and I remembered what you and your dad did for me, so I thought maybe you could help. It's too bad he couldn't come." Dean and Sam exchanged a look and Sam nodded,

"So, what do you think is out of the ordinary about the car accidents…I mean it doesn't really seem like our sort of job." Sam said with a knitted brow.

"A good man, your father." Evan continued ignoring Sam's question. "A real man, he was…tough, like Dean here." Dean smiled at his brother cockily and continued,

"Thank you sir" Dean said and Evan nodded, "now, could you tell us what the paranormal aspect of this is?"

"Each time the medics insisted that the father of the child showed up and took the kid home. But, the next day the police would get a call from the frantic father asking where their son or daughter was." Sam shrugged,

"No offense, but couldn't this be some weirdo…err, human, that's kidnapping these kids?" Sam asked and was greeted with silence. After about a minute of narrowed eyed staring Evan cleared his throat,

"You're Sam, right?" Evan asked, "John's youngest son?" Sam nodded, not sure what the man was getting at. He just nodded and shifted in his seat before continuing. "Whatever is taking those kids ain't human" he said. Dean raised his eyebrows and waited for Evan to explain. When he didn't Dean felt compelled to say something,

"What makes you say that?" Dean asked and Evan stood up.

"You boys better come with me" he said. Sam gave Dean a concerned look as they followed Evan through the rest of his cave to a backyard with grass that was cut pristinely, as if it had been sliced with nail clippers. The only thing that interrupted the perfection were three car doors, each lined up evenly against a wooden fence, each mutilated horribly. Two looked like they came from silver sedans, and one looked like it was ripped straight from a red sports car. The only thing that they had in common were the deep scratches that zig zagged across their surfaces forming a dizzying pattern of torn metal. Sam's eyes got wide as he ran his fingers over the scratch marks, they dug deep to the other side of the door, and were obviously malicious. Dean whistled a little under his breath,

"How did you get these, man?" Dean asked and Evan shook his head,

"They came off of each of the car wrecks…now tell me that that thing is human." Evan said with a grave look on his face.

"The man makes a good case, Sam." Dean said and Sam nodded with a sigh, running a hand through his hair,

"I don't get it" he said shaking his head, "the thing that took the children was in human form, but these…these weren't made by any human." Evan let out an exasperated laugh,

"Good boy, Sam. That's why you two are here."

* * *

Collins sighed, the beat up Cadillac he was driving wasn't holding up to the highway speed. It shook and protested the entire way from his driveway, and came very close to giving out all together.

"Damn it!" he yelled out, frustrated with everything. The nice buzz from the pills and booze was wearing off and leaving him with one hell of a headache, on the road to Cee Vee Texas. The commissioner told him to let it go, that the police in Cee Vee would take care of it, but he couldn't get the baby out of his head. That damn weirdo was sending him on a wild goose chase to some middle of no where town, searching for a stolen daughter that was probably already dead. He had a sick feeling in his stomach when he thought of the guy that took that little girl. One thing was for sure…he was going to get that son of a bitch.

It took him three and a half hours, but he made it to Cee Vee. One of those creepy little towns straight from a bad horror movie. He shuddered as he screeched to a halt in front of a small, gray house in the middle of the court. He muttered a few curses as he dragged himself out of his seat, rubbing his forehead with a weary hand. He stuck his head back in the car and opened the glove compartment. He rummaged around and pulled out his prize, a bottle of aspirin. He dry swallowed a couple and stood back up, looking around at the depressing little town. He saw a woman peering at him from behind her window curtain. He flashed her a big smile and she retreated back behind the curtain quickly. "Friendly" he muttered tossing the pill bottle back into his car and turning to face his building choices. He sawa store, well…the only store in the town and decided to start there, ask a few questions and get his bearings in this creepy little town.

He started to walk across the road, but forgot what his mother always told him and he didn't look both ways. He nearly had a heart attack when two double wides came rolling into the tiny town, nearly running him over. They blared their horns loudly and he jumped out of their way. "Holy hell" he breathed, picking himself up off of the asphalt slowly, _well, this is going well._

* * *

Sam heard the blaring horns of the eighteen wheelers and stopped in his tracks. Evan and Dean were halfway inside, but Sam's legs refused to move,

"You coming, Sam?" Dean asked and Sam looked from Evan to Dean and back again,

"Yeah, yeah, coming" he said running his hand over his forehead. Evan rolled his eyes at the younger man and disappeared into the house, followed closely by Dean. Sam followed reluctantly after them. He ran to the window, and his heart dropped to his stomach, "what are they doing here?" Sam asked, referring to the two giant white trucks that were parked nearby. Evan shrugged walking into the kitchen,

"No idea" he said pouring himself and Dean a drink. Sam shook his head and joined them in the kitchen,

"I still don't understand what this thing could want with…babies" Sam said and Evan shrugged,

"Whatever it is, I hope that it keeps them alive" he said with a frown. Dean nodded twisting his glass in his hand,

"I'm going to go get Dad's journal, see if he mentions anything like this in there" Dean said standing, his voice lined with doubt. Sam nodded as Dean walked out. They awkward silence that filled the air after Dean left made both men uncomfortable. Sam could swear that he was sitting across from his father in the cold kitchen. Evan's accusing gaze on him making him wish he could melt to the floor.

"So, you think that you boys can handle this?" Evan asked and Sam sighed _I guess you mean can Dean handle this?_

"We'll look into it" Sam said with as much confidence as he could muster. The silence fell over them again for a few moments, broken only by the sound of screeching tires… and a crash.


	4. Drake

Sam immediately jumped out of his chair and was at the door before Evan blinked. He could see a beat up '75 Cadillac smashed up against the back of the Impala and groaned. A man that was a little older then Sam was smashed up against his car struggling to breathe. Dean had his hand around the man's throat, smashing him up against the body of his Cadillac. His face was turning red and he was kicking his feet frantically trying to free himself from the death grip that Dean had around his jugular.

"Dean!" Sam cried out running over to his brother. He gripped Dean's shoulders and roughly pulled him off of the man, who dropped to the ground wheezing and clutching his throat. "Dean, what the hell?" Sam panted still struggling with his furious brother. In a flash Dean had Sam under him and glared, his eyes burning with anger.

"Did you see what he did to my car?" Dean growled letting go of his little brother and straightening himself up.

"God, you small town people are crazy" Officer Collins gasped out; he was standing, his hands on his knees, and his head towards the ground.

"I'm really sorry" Sam started as Dean walked reluctantly over to his baby. There was minor damage at worst, nothing a body shop couldn't fix. The Cadillac wasn't so lucky; the front end was completely crushed in, like a tin can. Yet, the anger in Dean's eyes was bubbling over and Sam moved protectively between the two men, not wanting his brother to have a murder rep over his head. "My brother really…really, loves his car." Sam said as Collins pulled himself to his feet, a red ring around his neck where Dean's fingers had been.

"Yeah, I can see that" Collins said scratching the back of his head and casting a worried gaze over his shoulder at the fuming Winchester.

"Damn it!" Dean cried out, running his hand over the dents in his bumper,

"Look man, I'm sorry…" Collins started, but Dean looked at him with enough rage in his face to make him stop mid-sentence. "Okay…" He said turning back to Sam, who appeared to be the one that didn't want to kill him.

"What happened?" Sam asked and Collins shook his head.

"These jerks in trucks wanted me to move my car and when I started it…I dunno, it was like it had a mind of its own. Then I see that guy running at me like I'd just run over his kid or something, and next thing I know you're saving my ass." He said and Sam nodded, he looked over at his brother who still seemed pissed, but the realization that his baby was, for the most part, okay sunk in and he let out a sigh, a little bit of his anger subsiding. Sam's head hurt, but he shook it off, and glancing towards his more subdued brother he nodded.

"I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my crazy older brother Dean" he said pointing to him, Officer Collins nodded in greeting, stepping a few feet away from Dean almost subconsciously.

"Drake Collins" he said stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked as Dean grumbled something under his breath and pulled out his keys.

"I'm a cop" Collins said, Dean walked by him roughly,

"Great" he hissed under his breath, opening the driver's door to his Impala. Collins ignored Dean's comment and continued, "I'm chasing this guy, he's…he's taking kids." Sam's throat got tight; the man in front of him looked beaten and tired, with a severe hangover. And this was all the police could muster up for three kidnappings? Maybe Dean was right about law enforcement.

"You're the Cee Vee police?" Sam asked as Dean started the Impala, slowly rolling it away from the Cadillac. Collins laughed,

"No, I'm stationed in Oklahoma actually, about four hours north of here…I was at this accident, and I saw this man…holding this little girl." Collins stopped for a second and rubbed his head with his hand in frustration, "I thought it was the dad…apparently not." Sam nodded. So this guy was a renegade cop, so to speak, well…that was a comforting thought. The accident sounded vaguely familiar but Sam pushed the concerned mother out of his head and merely nodded. "So, what are you guys doing in the middle of nowhere…you don't seem like you're from around here." Collins said and Sam furrowed his brow,

"What makes you say that?" He asked and Collins shrugged,

"You just didn't know if I was the police here, seems like in this place…everybody knows everybody…it gives me the creeps." Sam smiled but shook his head and didn't answer. Collins lifted his head to inspect the young man in front of him, he didn't look like a criminal, yet, neither had the man at the accident. "So, what are you doing here?" He asked again. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but before he could Dean walked up behind him and jumped in,

"_That_ is none of your business" he said firmly. Collins frowned but nodded, deciding it wouldn't be the best thing for him to get in another fight with this Dean Winchester guy, hell, he had held him up by his throat with one hand…no, it was best to stay out of his way.

"Okay" Collins said, backing off. "If you hear anything, let me know" he said, climbing into his car and driving it around the block and out of sight.

"Jerk" Dean spat after him shaking his head furiously.

"Dude, he _dinged_ you" Sam said, but Dean just glared in response,

"Yeah whatever" he grumbled. Evan had finally decided to make an appearance and was standing on his front porch, his hands on his hips.

"You alright there, Dean?" He asked and Dean smirked and nodded walking back up the porch steps.

"Bastard ran into my car" he mumbled under his breath pushing his way back into the house.

Collins rounded the corner still gripping at his throat. That man was crazy, utterly insane; he had wheeled out of there as fast as his car could go. He ignored the fact that he almost ran into the same truck as before that was backing up to the one store in town. The second eighteen wheeler was no where to be seen but one was bad enough, he didn't think that such small towns had big trucks, apparently he was wrong. He screeched to a halt around the block from the tiny store. He eased his way out of the car and cleared his throat, his breath coming a little easier then before. He mentally reminded himself to never piss that guy off again. He managed to cross the street safely, which was a major feat… apparently. He even made it inside the store without anything bad happening to him, his day was looking up. He opened the door and it made a charming little chiming noise.

"Hello?" Collins asked. There was no one inside the general store. The shelves were full of every odd and end a household needs to function but there was no one behind the register or in the aisles. "Anybody here…anyone?" Collins sighed and leaned against the counter, waiting for someone to show. His eyes scanned the contents of the aisles, "baby formula, diapers, bottles, dear God, these people have a lot of kids." He mumbled, two out of six aisles were devoted entirely to baby products. His eyes rolled over to the large window facing the street, they widened when he saw a man _so people do live here_. Collins caught his breath when he realized that the gangly looking man with wide eyes and thin arms was holding a hauntingly familiar little girl on his shoulders. His hands clenched into angry fists and he immediately raced out of the store.

"We're going to need a list of the father's who have been affected by these crashes" Sam said. They were sitting back on the couch that they had earlier occupied, Dean's face had eased back into his normal set of defiance, the anger was no longer present, but Sam knew it wasn't far from the surface.

"One is staying with family out of town, but two are still around…let's see, Carl Raymond, he lives on 12 Ferris avenue…and Edmond Wheeler, he lives on 40 King's street, he's the closest from here." Evan said, his eyes fixed on the wall behind Sam's head. Dean nodded, his fingers tapping anxiously on his knee,

"Let's go." The boys walked out of the house in silence. They were rounding the corner to King's street when Collins ran smack into Sam running as fast as he could. His eyes flew to the taller man and he stumbled back embarassed,

"Sorry" Collins mumbled starting to run ahead again, running well out of Dean's grasp, casting a worried eye to the older hunter. The boys turned around,

"That was the guy that ran into my car…now he's running into my brother. Oh, he is so dead" Dean turned around, almost too fast for Sam to catch…almost.

"Chill" Sam said catching Dean by the collar. Dean watched as Collins chased after some invisible foe and let out a frustrated sigh.

"You're too nice for your own good, you know that?" Dean asked, Sam was going to respond but was cut off by a high pitched scream.


	5. Into the Cellar

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out, it's exam week over here and I haven't had any time for anything besides fruitlessly trying to rectify my future. **

Collins couldn't feel his toes. That was never a good sign; it was always bad when you started to go numb, when you started to fall into a pit of shock. He tried to move his feet but they were tied to something and all he could manage was a feeble wobble of his legs. _Fuck._

He opened his eyes slowly, it hurt to move his eyelids, like someone had stapled them shut, but once he got them open they refused to move. He was tied down alright, tied down to the floor by his hands and feet. Four loops protruding from the cold stone floor were wrapped tightly with a rough rope that was cutting into his ankles and wrists. He was sprawled out like a chalk outline, and it was dark with only a dim light in the corner. He could see a sickeningly moist ceiling directly above his head, with each passing second a drop of god knows what threatened to land on his forehead. He turned his head to the left and was puzzled at what he saw. Through the dimness of wherever the hell he was he saw a table in the corner with rows and rows of white boxes on it. Tiny boxes, no longer then Collin's shin. He squinted through the haze and his heart dropped to his stomach, they were coffins.

* * *

Sam and Dean rounded the corner, chasing after the scream, killer instinct in overdrive they were ready to pounce on whatever it was that had disturbed the peace. However, once they reached the source of the scream the road became eerily quiet once more. Nothing stirred, no one was moving, it was almost as if the entire town was holding it's breath.

"What the hell was that?" Sam asked, his eyes frantically searching for something, _anything_ to blame to noise on. Dean didn't say anything, he was staring at the ground in between the sidewalk and the nearest lawn. There was about six inches of bare dirt before the grass sprung up and Dean was kneeling beside it. "Dean?" Sam asked and his brother turned his head towards Sam, silently motioning him to take a look. Sam moved foreword warily and kneeled beside his brother. His eyes grew wide at what he saw. There, in the dirt were tiny, bloody footprints. Unseen feet no bigger then a doorknob were marching through the dirt towards something. Sam and Dean followed the little footprints from the dirt, to the sidewalk, and eventually into someone's back yard. They led to an underground cellar, straight out of The Wizard of Oz and then they stopped. Neither brother said anything as Dean threw open the cellar doors. Dean was already halfway down the stairs as Sam looked back over his shoulder, the footprints were gone.

* * *

He had noticed that Collins was awake and he frowned. He had knocked the officer pretty hard over the head, he shouldn't be coming to this soon. The little girl in his arms was whimpering softly and he shushed her soothingly.

"It's alright Kailey, I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you" he cooed. _Kailey?_ The name struck a chord with Collins and he knew that he had the bastard that was taking children. He shuddered as the realization hit him, of why he needed all those little coffins.

"You sick son of a bitch!" Collins growled the gangly man shrugged at the officer and ignored him.

"Come on, princess, you look tired…" The man whispered placing the girl gently on a small couch and wrapping her up in what seemed to be a white scarf.

"Don't touch her!" Collins shouted, and the man sighed.

"I'm only helping her." He said, as if he was trying to explain it to a kindergardener.

"HELP!" Collins barked, fury marring his sense and made him forget, who exactly it was that was tied to the floor.

"Yes, help. I help all of my children."

* * *

The cellar was dark and Dean tossed a flashlight to Sam. There were no more guiding footprints but there was really no need to be guided. There was a very narrow hallway which led to a cramped room, no bigger then a closet. With a door directly to the left of the one they entered. On three of the walls there were clippings of old newspapers and magazines, a miniature desk in the corner had a battery powered lamp on it that Dean switched on. They scanned the walls; all of the articles seemed to be in a pattern. The first wall was all about one thing, a kidnapping of one child. Kelly Howard, a three year old girl who had been snatched in 1999, her body was found a few days later, carelessly thrown into a dumpster. Sam shuddered and turned his attention to the next two walls. They were plastered with clippings about different kidnappings starting in 2000, all the way to today. Apparently each time a car would crash, the mother would die and the child would disappear.

"Sounds like our guy" Sam said and Dean shrugged,

"Yeah, but this guy sounds like some wacko human…not really our type of monster." Sam shook his head,

"I'm not too sure of that. It says here that Kelly's father became overcome with grief and started drinking." Sam said pointing to an article on the first wall. Dean shrugged turning his attention towards his brother,

"So Dad's a booze hound, that doesn't make him a demon." Dean said and Sam furrowed his brow,

"Yeah, but here it says that Mr. Howard was driving drunk and crashed into a tree three months later…he didn't make it." Dean frowned and scanned the walls again, with a slight nod he sighed,

"Okay, so he's not a demon, he's an angry spirit?" Sam shrugged putting his hands on his hips,

"Could be." Dean let out the breath he had been holding in, just as the lamp flickered out.

* * *

Something was bothering the man, Collins could see him struggling with himself.

"You don't want to kill her" Collins said, deciding that this was a good time to play the good cop. The man rubbed his forehead and sighed,

"I have to" he said tightening the shroud around the baby girl who started to cry. Collins struggled with the bonds that held him down, if he could just keep him talking, he could untie the rope, probably.

"Why is that?" Collins asked twisting the rope that was binding his right hand through his fingers; he could feel the rope loosening in his grasp.

"Do you have any idea what can happen to a child in this world?" He asked and Collins took that as a rhetorical question. He let the man's attention be taken up by the little girl as the rope around his right hand fell limp. _Yes._

"There are monsters in this world. We have to keep the children safe from them." He said rocking the little girl back and forth until her crying subsided; he carried her to the corner of the room where he unlatched a metal box that was sitting on the same table as the tiny coffins, and placed her gently beside it. His back was to the officer so Collins took the opportunity to quickly untie his left hand. His eyes grew wide as he saw what was in the metal box, there were a few glass bottles and a couple of needles. He stuck one of the needles into one of the bottles and tapped the air out. Collins quickly sat up and untied his feet. He leaped up and ran over to the table, grabbing the man around the neck.

"Yeah, like you" he spat. The man hardly seemed fazed and his body wavered and disappeared. "What the hell?" Collins breathed whipping around. The little girl let out a shout and Collins gathered her into his arms. He headed for the door when the small couch moved from its position and knocked his feet out from under him. He rolled to his back, holding the girl up so that she wouldn't get crushed. He jumped back to his feet, his eyes searching the room for his invisible foe.

* * *

A loud bang came from the door next to the one that the boys had entered. Dean raised his eyebrows and reached it before his younger brother. He threw open the door and saw Collins in the center holding a little girl with the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

"You!" Dean snarled, "I knew it was you, Sam, I knew it was him, cop my ass!" Dean said lunging at Collins.

"Wait, no, it's not me!" Collins tried to explain but Dean already had him pinned up against the wall. He grabbed the little girl from his arms and handed her to Sam who took her with a dazed look on his face.

"How many kids have you taken, huh? How many have you killed, copper?" Dean asked his fist poised to deliver one hell of a blow.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, while Dean was prepared to beat Collins to a pulp he was pinned against the wall by a small couch, the little girl still in his hands. Dean turned around as the couch slid over and knocked him to the ground.

"I told you it wasn't me" Collins gasped out. Sam's eyes widened. They had no weapons, no journal, no plan…no chance.

"Hand her over" a form materialized next to Sam, his angry voice cold as ice. Sam gripped the screaming baby tighter and pulled her away from the spirit.

"No" he said trying to kick the couch away from his body.

"Sam" Dean groaned picking himself up quickly and running over to his brother.

"Take her" Sam said handing the little girl to Dean who subsequently handed her to Collins who was standing close behind.

"You can't have her" Collins said forcefully tucking the screaming baby into his jacket, backing away from the menacing man. He glared at the cop and wavered and disappeared. All three of them let out a breath and Sam wormed his way out from behind the couch.

"Who the fuck was that?" Collins asked backing towards the door.

"We don't have time to explain this to you…we'll take care of it." Dean said heading towards the door. As soon as he reached it, it swung shut in his face. He backed up and the couch slid foreword again, clipping all three of them, forcing them on their backs. A deep laughter rang through the cramped room as the light flickered out. Collins sighed and stood up in the dark, the little girl's whimpering growing louder.

"Okay then, Ace. How're you gonna take care of this?"


	6. Enjoy Your Trip

**A/N: Exams are over! Sorry this took sooo long**

It was still dark, and the chill in the cramped dirt room was growing. The man hadn't shown his face in half an hour, and Dean was still trying to open the damned door. Sam was leaning against the wall, the cold seeping into his head.

"Maybe it's time we try something else" Collins sighed; he had rocked the baby into a stupor and was now trying desperately to get Dean or Sam to explain themselves.

"Maybe it's time you shut your mouth" Dean grumbled kicking the door one last time to no avail. The temperature was getting lower and Sam could see his breath. Suddenly, a tiny voice whispered in Sam's ear. It was a cold voice, a small voice filled with anger and false friendliness.

"You understand, don't you Sam?" The voice asked and Sam whipped his head around for the source of the din, but the man chose to remain invisible. "You, of all people know how horrible this world is for children…you've seen the monsters, Sam." Sam stood up straight,

"Dean" he said softly trying to get his brother to pay attention to the disembodied voice, but he and Collins were arguing again and neither of them seemed to notice the voice, or Sam.

"You don't need him, Sam, do you? You know he's always been there for you, but you're going to have to learn to deal with life without your big brother to save the day." Sam shook his head, and remained silent. "I can tell your childhood wasn't exactly a sitcom, Sam…" The voice trailed off and the room started to spin in front of Sam's eyes.

"Dean" Sam said a little more loudly, Dean finally stopped yelling at Collins and turned to his little brother who was slumped up against the wall.

"Sam? Sammy?" Dean felt the worry steal his voice as he rushed over to the dizzy younger Winchester. He shook his little brother's head trying to wake him up as Sam's eyes rolled back in his head.

"_Sammy, you sit here…I'll be back in a few hours, Dean you're in charge." John Winchester's ragged face had lines on it that no man his age should have. His eyes had enough emptiness in them to rival the stares of comatose patients, and Sam knew that he wasn't going to be hunting anything that didn't come in a bottle. _

_"Yes, Sir." Dean said sitting on the almond couch with enough curious stains to scare away four year old Sam. Sam just nodded his bushy head to his father and sighed a little as the door shut quietly, as if his father was trying to be gentle. _

_"So, Sammy, what do you want for dinner?" Dean asked, pulling up a chair to the counter in their kitchenette so he could reach the cupboard. His big green eyes were met with the meager portions that the tiny family had to eat and they darkened. "Peanut butter and jelly, or….jelly and peanut butter?" Dean asked a small smile on his lips. _

_"I'm not hungry" the youngest Winchester pouted, lumbering over to the bedside table. _

_"You're always hungry" Dean grumbled knowing that Sam was. Getting no snide response from his witty little brother Dean decided to speak again, "What are you doing?" Dean asked, as he unscrewed the lid to the peanut butter. There was hardly any left, probably only enough to spread over one slice of bread. He sighed and opened the jelly, hoping he could make up for the lack of peanut butter, however there was even less jelly. _

_"Reading" Sam said pulling out the drawer of the tiny oak table. Dean raised his eyebrows and climbed off of the chair, taking two slices of bread from the half of loaf that they had and grabbing a knife from the drawer below the sink. _

_"Reading? Reading, what?" Dean asked preparing to make his patented pb and j sandwich. _

_"A book" Sam said a hint of whine in his voice. Dean looked over his shoulder and saw his tiny little brother curled up in the center of the queen sized bed, the bible in his hands. Immediately his stomach dropped and he cleared his throat uncomfortably._

_"You know none of that's true, don't you, Sammy?" Dean asked and Sam looked up from the thin pages with a frown, _

_"Why can't it be true?" Sammy asked, _

_"Well, it's just a story you know" Dean said spreading the peanut butter on one slice of bread and carefully cleaning the knife before spreading the jelly on the other slice. "There's no such thing as God." The morbid statement coming out of the mouth of an eight year old would have been shattering if Sam had expected anything else. Their father had screamed into Dean the absence of God at an early age, Sam had been spared the lectures because he was just a baby but Dean's cold eyes were hardened from the ignorance of youth being ripped from them at an all too early age. _

_"Why not?" Sam asked his eyes still filled with the belief in Santa Clause and the tooth fairy, which Dean considered equally as childish as the belief in God. _

_"There just isn't" Dean said, remembering his father's voice which echoed in his ears, _

_"Nothing will save these people if we don't, there is nothing good out there to help them…you hear me? Nothing." The emptiness he had felt in the air around him that night was unforgettable, and he hadn't been able to shake the feeling of aloneness. He finished his sandwich and cut it diagonally into two perfect triangles, with a triumphant smirk he stepped back and admired his work. _

_"Well then who is watching out for us?" Sammy asked closing the leather book and eyeing his brother's sandwich hungrily. _

_"Dad is" Dean said ripping a paper towel off of the roll and wrapping the sandwich in it. "Now eat." Dean had walked over to his little brother and held out the perfect sandwich to him, the little boy grabbed it eagerly and after the first bite he looked at his brother curiously. _

_"Where's your sandwich, Dean?" He asked and Dean smiled, _

_"I ate it already, gosh Sammy, don't you pay attention?" Sam furrowed his brow but didn't press the matter any further. _

Sam remembered that night vaguely, he had thought that Dean had eaten already, but now he knew better, now he wasn't four.

_"Dad?" It was Dean's voice that broke Sam's slumber, his brother had been waiting up like an anxious parent for his father to come back in. _

_"Hey, Dean" John had said tip towing in the small room as if he really thought that either of his _

_boys were asleep, "are you hungry? Did you guys eat?" Even though John's vision was blurred he still felt _

_a little twang of fatherly responsibility. Dean shook his head, _

_"Yeah, we ate, I made sandwiches" Dean said and John nodded walking into the kitchen. He _

_opened the cupboard and frowned, he could have sworn that they had more food then that, he just didn't _

_seem to have time to go food shopping anymore. _

"_What did you guys do?" John asked, rubbing his forehead and kicking off his shoes. _

"_I watched some T.V and Sammy read." Dean said letting out a little sigh. _

"_Read? What was he reading?" John hadn't bought any books in a while, and Sammy had lost _

_his copy of Time magazine a week ago. _

_"The book that comes with the room" Dean said sleepily, his father being in the room Dean could finally let down his guard and let sleep enter his head. _

_"What book?" John's voice was harsh as it sliced through the air and Dean's big sleepy eyes snapped back and focused on his father who seemed to have grown five feet in height. Dean didn't answer and John raked a hand through his hair. With a great sigh he walked over to the end table, he didn't see Sam's wide eyes staring at him from underneath the covers as he slid open the drawer carefully as if some hidden foe was laying inside waiting to pounce. He gingerly lifted the leather bound bible into his hands and held it as if it was a deadly poison. "This book?" He asked the anger in his voice barley veiled by the false calm he had gotten very good at creating. Dean nodded, his eyes wide he'd never really been afraid of his father, but he had seen him angry and it was rather unpleasant. _

_"Yes, Sir" John narrowed his eyes and dropped the bible back into the drawer and kneeled in front of his eldest son. _

_"You know how I feel about that book, son" he said keeping his rising emotions in check. _

_"Sorry, Sir." Dean mumbled but John continued to stare down the eight year old, _

_"I don't want you or your brother reading it, is that clear?" He asked and Dean nodded, "you have to know that it's not real, none of it!" His voice was growing with suppressed anger that wasn't necessarily directed towards his son, he was angry at God, and Dean was the closest thing he could take it out on. _

_"I know, Sir." John groaned, why did Dean have to be so damn compliant? Why couldn't he give his father something to yell at? _

_"Do you? Do you know that there is nothing out there that can help you? There is no good force out there that is going to take care of you, so you've got to take care of yourself. There is nothing out there that is going to save your brother either, you hear that? Nothing out there is looking to help us out, the things that are out there want to hurt us. There is nothing that you can't see that you can believe in, okay? Only believe what you can see, have faith in reality." Dean's wide eyes filled with tears, but he swallowed them and shrunk away from his father, _

_"Yes, Sir." Dean had climbed into the bed he had to share with his brother but he didn't sleep all night. He kept his eyes open so that if anything came out of the shadows he would be ready. _

Sam's eyes snapped back into focus and he drew in a quick breath. Dean was standing over him, gripping his shoulder tightly. For an instant eight year old Dean's face flashed in front of the man Sam was staring at and Sam smiled.

"You okay, what did he do to you?" Dean had apprehension in his voice and Sam didn't know how to explain the little trip down memory lane he had been forced to take.

"Nothing, nothing" Sam said standing up and brushing his clothes off.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked and Sam nodded combing the hair from his eyes,

"Yeah, I'm fine" he insisted but the worry didn't leave Dean's eyes and his eyes didn't leave his brother's face.

"Ah ha!" Collins was standing triumphantly by the open door and Dean finally tore his eyes from Sam.

"How did you-" Dean was dumbfounded and Collins smirked,

"I turned the knob" he said and Dean shook his head,

"No, I tried that, I'm not an idiot." Collins shrugged and eagerly stepped out of the room,

"It worked for me." As soon as Collins stepped over the threshold with the baby the couch slid across the room again and knocked Sam over, and pinned Dean up against the wall.

"Dean!" Sam cried out jumping to his feet and running over to his pinned brother. He tried to move the couch but it wouldn't budge. Dean's eyes got wide as they focused on something just behind Sam's head.

"Sam, get out of here" Dean said sternly motioning towards the open door. Sam knitted his brow and shook his head,

"What? Are you crazy?" Dean frowned,

"Sam, get out of here NOW!" He was scared now and it made Sam nervous.

"I'm not leaving you here." Sam insisted whipping his head around his face was almost pierced by five hovering syringes, he ducked them and they smashed against the wall next to Dean's head. The intense fear in Dean's eyes didn't evaporate,

"Sam, get out of here right now or I'll kick your ass!" The threat was obviously empty, but something in Dean's voice made Sam back up. He was still shaking his head as he backed up the three feet over the entrance once out of the room he spread his arms wide,

"Are you happy now?" Sam asked but Dean didn't answer as a shimmering figure stepped out from behind the door and slammed it in Sam's face with a short laugh. Collins rounded the corner back to the room, rolling his eyes,

"Hey, are you guys coming or what?" He asked, seeing Sam frantically pulling on the doorknob to the closed door as muffled screaming came from inside Sam didn't answer, instead he screamed,

"DEAN!"


	7. The Ghost of Christmas Future

The dull pain in his head was ebbing away slowly, as if his skull was a sponge that was being squeezed and the pain was squirting out. He tried to struggle, but struggle was fruitless, the man, who if alive Dean could easily dominate, was now in his ghostly form and infinitely stronger. He had that look in his eyes, that callous look of control and malice, he was going to make Dean suffer, and he was going to like it.

"That little expression of affection back there was adorable, making your brother leave like that" he was hovering inches from Dean's pinned form and the helpless Winchester wanted nothing more then to be able to reach over an rip off his nose. "It surprised me at first, big tough guy like you, risking his neck for his baby brother, but now that I see your eyes, I should have known all along." The pain edged its way back in and the room started to spin in front of Dean's eyes, the last sound he heard was Sam's pounding on the door before it all went black.

* * *

"Sam, we have got to get out of here" Collins was frantic, and the baby in his arms was starting to cry again.

"I'm not leaving my brother in there with…that." His voice had cold determination in it, but Collins was prepared for this.

"How are you going to get him out? Huh? Are you going to beat down the door? 'Cause you can't, Sam, you need to get something to help." Sam still didn't turn to face the officer,

"I am not leaving my brother in there" his voice was desperate and Collins was having a hard time deciding between good and bad cop. He ran a mini-synopsis in his head, this man was dangerously loyal to his brother, sensitive and quieter, he probably didn't have the best of childhoods, and he had that look in his eyes, that beaten look of a third grader who is constantly teased on the playground. He decided on good cop.

"You want to help your brother, right?" Sam finally faced Collins, his eyebrows raised the look on his face showing the officer exactly what he thought of his most obvious question, "right, but standing here behind this door screaming his name is not going to help him, you understand?"

* * *

Dean felt little pinpricks of raindrops on his arms as he slowly opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and jumped up fighting, swinging his arms around in a desperate attempt to get away from the ghost, to get back to his brother.

"That's not going to help you" the cold voice chuckled at the strong man's attempt to wail on the iridescent form.

"Where the hell are we?" Dean demanded forcefully and the man remained irritatingly calm,

"Not where…when." He said and Dean rolled his eyes at the bad made-for-tv bad guy line.

"Alright, _when_ the hell are we?" The man grinned and popped up in front of him with a creepy grin on his face,

"About eight fifteen tonight" the man seemed all too proud of himself and Dean scoffed, the rain falling down more heavily impairing his vision.

"You took me into the future a whopping four hours, congradulations." He quickly turned away from the man and his face went instantly white at the scene he was faced with.

* * *

Sam and Collins had been arguing for a good four minutes and the officer was getting tired.

"Look, Sam, if you don't want to get any help for your brother then fine, stand outside this door and try to unhinge it with your fists, but I'm going to get some serious help, okay?" Collins turned the little girl's hands gripping his forefinger tightly. With every step he took the baby tightened her grip and he could feel a wail growing inside of her. He tried to walk faster, but that only seemed to upset her more. She couldn't be more then a year old, and Collins wasn't the best at deciphering baby speak, but something was defiantly wrong. She wretched her head around big wet tears rolling down her rosy cheeks. She flung her arms around Collins neck and gripped him around the jugular. "Kailey, what is wrong with you?" She only cried harder at the harsh words and he sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it" he cooed, but it sounded fake coming from his gritty mouth.

"I don't think she wants to leave" Sam called, his hand still on the doorknob. Collins rolled his eyes,

"Maybe she wants you to come with us."

* * *

Dean couldn't believe it, his pretty car, and the love of his life, smashed. It was completely collapsed like an accordion between two monster eighteen wheelers. He walked up to it like a man in a trance, stunned. The flashing lights of police cars around him and busy, rushed people didn't seem to notice him as he edged his way towards his baby, then it occurred to him, if his car was smashed like this, someone had to be driving it.

"Sam? Sammy!" Dean's voice was frantic; the wreckage looked so mutilated it was hard to believe anyone could make it out alive. He found himself muttering various pleas to any entity that would listen that his brother would be okay.

"Mr. Winchester?" The gentle voice of trained sympathy came from behind Dean and he turned around, his eyes filled with worry and uneasiness. However, the woman walked right past the elder brother to the curb a few feet away from the scene of the accident. What could have easily been mistaken as a pile of dirty clothes was sitting on the hard curb. A head of long scraggily hair was all that could be seen of the young man that was obviously in shock. Dean let out a little sigh of relief, Sam was okay, Dean hadn't failed so everything was going to be alright. However, once his little brother lifted his head, Dean could see by the look in his eyes that something was horribly, horribly wrong. It wasn't just the tears in his eyes, or the blood smeared on his face, or even the hard look of his mouth that showed he was grinding his teeth together hard, to keep from sobbing, it was the emptiness. The hollowness in his eyes was scary, it was like someone had ripped the soul out of Sam.

"Sam, hey" Dean said jogging over to his brother and putting a hand on his shoulder, Sam didn't even flinch. Dean furrowed his brow, "Sammy, hey, Sam" He was shaking his brother's shoulder violently, but neither Sam nor the medic seemed to see or hear him.

"They can't see you" The man was standing beside Dean again, his fingers laced together in true evil genius fashion. "I'm the ghost of Christmas future, and you are Ebenezer Scrooge looking foreward at the grim future." Dean's stomach sunk, in this future, he was no where to be found. "Take a look in the car." The man was almost cackling now as Dean hurried to what used to be the driver's side window of his beloved car. He nearly threw up when he saw himself, his blood everywhere, his eyes cold and lifeless. He gulped several times and stumbled back a few steps. "However, like Scrooge, you have a chance to change this." The man was talking again and Dean's eyes were back on his brother, who was alone and sobbing on the side of the road.

"How?" He asked fighting down sadness and rage. The man pretended to think for a second on that point and smirked,

"You could give him the keys" he said nodding his ghostly head towards Sam. Dean shook his head,

"What would that do?" The man smiled his grin spreading across his face, enjoying every moment of the younger man's pain. He nodded his head back towards the door and in place of Dean's mutilated, dead body, was Sam's. "NO" his voice was loud, steady, and forceful. The man nodded with a skeptical look plaguing his features,

"If that's how you want it." He nodded towards the car again and Dean's lifeless eyes stared up at him once more. Dean tore his eyes from his own dead body and looked over at his most defiantly alive brother on the curb.

"It is." The man nodded and the ground beneath Dean's feet began to spin. Before he knew it he was back in the dank room, pinned against the wall.

"You see how horrible this world is now, Dean? How bad things happen to good people?" Dean gulped audibly, but didn't say anything as the man paced in front of him again.

"Good doesn't always triumph, Love doesn't conquer all, and tonight, you will die."


	8. Up To You

"The world is an evil place, full of monsters and villains; villains that took my Kelly." The man was starting to show his distress and Dean could feel his hold on the couch getting weaker. "That's why I have to do it, Dean. That's why I have to kill them, so that they'll be in a better place. It's my plan, it's my duty to the innocent of the world, and you…cannot get in my way." Dean just glared at the man, not wanting to open his own feelings up for evaluation. The man smiled as an idea crossed his mind. "I was buried in a plot in the town where I grew up, Kentville, next to my daughter. It's a good forty minutes away…by car." And with that the man wavered and disappeared. Dean pushed the couch out from in front of him and ran to the door. He threw it open to reveal a very frantic looking Sam and a desperately frustrated Collins.

"Dean, what ha-" Sam was going to go into the whole worried younger brother thing right then and Dean just couldn't deal with it.

"No time, Sam, we're going to Kentville." Sam's mind underwent a series of emotions as they made their way through the tunnels back to the car. Panic, _Dean doesn't know what is going to happen, but even if he did he wouldn't stop it. What am I going to do? How can I stop this? I can't; I just can't stop it_. Denial, _no, this isn't going to happen, I won't let it happen, my big brother can not die. He's the strong one, he's not going anywhere, and this is not going to happen._ And overwhelming sadness, _what am I going to do without Dean? What can I do without my big brother? I can't go on living like this, I just can't. I won't do it, I'll die_. Dean walked to the driver's side tentatively, unknown emotions rushing behind his turbulent green eyes as he hesitated to pull out his keys. He opened the door at an agonizingly slow rate.

"You want me to drive?" Sam asked hopefully, but he knew how his brother would respond. One look from Dean shut up his little brother. His eyes had a cold and distant look of brave resignation; he was going to be the expendable hero, the one that would die for the person he loves. He was taking an awfully long time to get open the car, as if he was trying to make a very difficult decision and Collins shifted his weight uncomfortably the baby growing heavier by the second.

"Oh, dear God, I'll drive." Collins groaned and at his words both brothers turned and stared at him. He had no idea what he had just offered to do. Could they hand him the keys? Would they let him die to save what is left of their fractured family? Dean extended his arm the keys dangling within Collins grasp. All he could see was Sam's hurt eyes; all he could hear was the sobbing of his little brother who he had promised to protect from everything. Collins raised his eyebrows and took the keys from Dean, "seriously?" He didn't take Dean for a guy that would let just anyone drive his car. But Dean wasn't seeing someone else driving his baby, all Dean could see was his little brother that wasn't going to be able to handle what was waiting for him. He nodded and walked around to the passenger's side door. Collins handed the baby to Sam who slid into the back seat, and turned the key in the ignition. Dean ducked his head, unable to look at the man they were sacrificing to save themselves. Collins pulled out to the edge of town when a blue corvette swerved in front of the Impala. Collins stopped on a dime and grimaced as a slender red head stomped out of the driver's side of the car that was obstructing their way.

"What the hell?" Dean asked and Collins groaned,

"Cora." Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean and both brothers smiled trying not to laugh as the officer stepped out of the car to face this Cora.

"Drake" her voice was cold as she advanced on him her hands on her hips.

"Hey there Cora" he said with a wide smile on his face, inside he was silently hoping that she didn't have a weapon with her.

"Don't you hey Cora me" she said punching him in the shoulder with about half of her strength; he recoiled from her rubbing his shoulder.

"Oww" he groaned and she rolled her eyes.

"You can't just up and leave town like this, where the _hell_ have you been?" Collins sucked in some air and explained, all the while Cora tapping her foot impatiently.

"So, if you don't mind moving your car, we've got to finish this….apparently." Cora raised her eyebrows and marched over to the Impala, both boys were standing outside of the car by now and neither knew exactly what to make of this. She looked at the Winchester brothers shook her head and without saying anything she marched back over to Collins.

"I am not letting my big brother ride off with these…whatever the hell they are….what are you?" She asked whipping around and staring down the boys. Dean raised his eyebrows and turned to Sam,

"I dunno, Sammy, what are we?" Sam couldn't help but laugh, however Cora didn't find it very funny.

"There is no way I'm letting you go anywhere with these guys, Drake" Cora said her hands still firmly on her hips. Collins shook his head at her,

"Corry, you are my little sister, not my mother." The look in Cora's eyes made Dean's stomach sick. They were going to kill her older brother, and she'd be left with the hollow heart, just like Sam would be.

"Go with her" Dean said, interrupting the staring contest going on between the Collins siblings. Collins turned around and looked at Dean like he had five heads. "She's your sister man, you take this baby, we're kind of on a time budget." Sam's heart sunk as Dean cleared his throat, now his brother really was going to die. Cora immediately agreed to Dean's idea and grabbed the baby from Sam's arms and forced Collins into her Vette with one look from her eyes that were as blue as her car. Sam watched as Cora ignored Collin's pleas, as if it were a silent movie, the sound shut off, their mini-fight visible through the windshield of her car. Although Collins seemed very tough on the outside, his sister could beat him down easy, and it was obvious that he couldn't say no to her. Dean shook his head and rounded to the driver's side of the car. Sam was grappling with what was going on, and he couldn't take his eyes off of his brother, as if he lost sight of him Dean would disappear forever.

"Do I have something on my face?" Dean asked starting up the Chevy and Sam looked away.

"Dean, I've been having these….dreams." Dean let out a long low sigh.

"Really? I had no idea." Sam shook his head as they drove around Cora and Collins who were still arguing.

"No, this dream starts out….well, like….this." Dean's eyes widened but he didn't say anything, "and by the end of it, you…you…" Sam couldn't bring himself to say it. _You get cut in half. _

"I know, Sam." Dean sighed and revved the engine. Sam whipped his head to the side, shocked and more then a little disturbed.

"What do you mean, you _know?"_ Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat,

"The man, showed me" Sam raised his eyebrows,

"He showed you?" Dean nodded,

"Yes, he showed me, God Sammy, what are you a parrot?" Sam shook his head in disbelief.

"So you know what happens to you?" The silence that followed that statement was deafening and Sam had his answer, "well, if you know why are you still driving?" Sam asked his voice rising to a frustrated yell. Dean furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. When he didn't answer Sam got more then a little aggravated. "Why, Dean? What could be so important that you would see yourself….like that, and still get in this car?" His little brother rant got to Dean and he answered,

"You. Okay? You are Sammy…if I don't get…if I'm not the one driving, it's you, okay? And there is no way in hell I am letting that happen to my little brother." Sam just stared, his big eyed fawn like look with a mixture of a smile and a frown on his face. Dean would have blushed, if that wouldn't be so very embarrassing, he hadn't meant to be so emotional, but he was going to die rather unpleasantly and Sam might as well know how much he meant to Dean, "you're everything I've got Sam, and I would rather die then let you go down like that." Sam just shook his head and bit down on his lower lip, hard.

"Well, what do you think is going to happen to me once you're gone? Dean, do you really think I can do this by myself?" Dean cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the amount of brotherly love that filled the Impala.

"You are going to be just fine. You're the smart one, the physic one, hell Geek Boy you're better equipped for life then I'll ever be." Sam looked away, he didn't want his brother to see the misty tears that were building up in his eyes, but his broken voice gave away his emotion even if his face couldn't be seen.

"But there is no life, if there's no you." Those nine words were all it took to break Dean Winchester's heart. Dean sighed, his eyes filled with some sort of liquid that he'd be damned if he let fall.

"Don't say things like that Sammy, it's gonna make it a lot harder to die when you say… things like that" and Sam let out the sob he was holding in quietly, it sounded like a strangled cough but Dean wasn't fooled. "Look, Sam, you'll be okay, I promise, and I don't have to be clairvoyant to know that." Sam would have poked fun at his ever mushier brother, but he couldn't help but want to break down and sob, especially when Dean's voice died out and all that was left was the hum of the engine.

"No, I won't, I won't be able to do this anymore, Dean, I'll…I'll die." Dean's face hardened and he shook his head,

"No. You are not going to die, you are going to live, and grow old and be a great-great-great grandfather telling you children's children's children about all the crazy things you used to do when you were young and used to have a crazy brother and a tricked out car." Sam shook his head and wiped his eyes furiously,

"You're not an expendable character; I can't lose you like this….not like this." Dean sighed and squinted into the darkness that was in front of him. He could just make out the pin points of headlights in the distance through the windshield.

"Well Sammy…" Dean started as the pinpoints grew larger and larger in front of them until the front of the truck that was bearing down on them was obvious and rather frightening. "I really don't think that this is up to you."


	9. Little Brother

Collins couldn't take it; something in the very pit of his stomach told him something wasn't right. He refused to move from their car, which had been parked out of the way, until both brothers were back and explained themselves. However, it had been at least an hour and a half and the Impala was no where in sight.

"Drake, stop fidgeting" Cora hissed, "you're scaring Kailey" the little baby had a deep set frown on her face and was making disgruntled baby noises.

"They should be back by now."

* * *

_The truck was rushing at the car faster and faster, the horn nearly shattered Sam's eardrums. Sam looked over at Dean, his big brother was staring straight into the lights in front of him, Sam couldn't take his eyes off of Dean's determined face. Only one thought crossed his mind. No. No this will not happen to his family, and no, he won't let his brother become a martyr, Dean was not allowed to die. Sam mustered all the courage he had in him, all the rugged determination he had inherited from his father and he lunged at the wheel. _

* * *

The clock on the dashboard was mocking him, blinking the time that wouldn't move foreward, and Cora just wouldn't stop talking. She couldn't get her mind around the concept that Collins had just up and left. He tried to explain to her that it was to save the little girl that she held in her arms, but she wouldn't listen all she could think about was how Collins had left without warning. He kept trying to remind her that she was the little sister, she didn't need to protect him, he could make his own decisions.

* * *

"_Sam! What are you doing?" Dean's voice had raw unadulterated terror in it as he saw what Sam was doing. Sam's knuckled were white as he struggled against his stronger brother for control of the wheel. The Impala swerved to the left and the truck smashed into the passengers side as the one from the back crunched the car up like an accordion with a deafening crash. _

* * *

"They should be back by now" Collins was getting more aggravated and the twisted knot in his stomach was making him nauseous.

"They're probably in Maine by now" Cora said spitefully, her voice full of frustration.

"No, I don't think that they would just leave Kailey here." Cora rolled her eyes,

"You don't know that…you don't know _them._" Collins sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to figure out his own trust in the men he barley knew.

"Corry, would you just trust me on this one?" He asked and she bit her bottom lip.

"Fine, but I'm telling you….they're gone."

* * *

_Sam's seatbelt snapped due to the force of the impact and his body flew through the windshield. The only noise that Dean heard in the dead air after the accident was his own voice screaming. After he flew through the air Sam fell out of Dean's sight and he landed on the blacktop with a sickening crunch. Dean's seatbelt held as his side of the car was hit with half of the impact of Sam's side. He had the wind knocked out of him and a shard of glass flew into his scalp just below his hairline. The emergency brake came loose but it stopped before it could do much damage to Dean's torso. The car spun in front of him as he lost blood and consciousness still screaming for Sam._

* * *

Cora held the baby close to her, her doubts still clear on her face.

"Drake, can we turn around now? We've been driving for twenty minutes, those creeps are gone." Collins just shook his head and he squinted through the darkness in front of him. The light from the Corvette's headlights glinted on black metal and he took in a short breath as he saw what had happened to the Winchesters.

The two trucks were the dominating figures in the scene, although their drivers were eerily absent. The tiny Chevy was crumpled in between them like a shard of tin foil, one brother was clearly visible, Dean was in the driver's seat his face untouched by the pale of death. However, Sam was no where to be seen. Dean's eyes had a dull bit of life left in them and he seemed to be struggling with the metal door that held him captive in his seat. Collins jumped out of the Corvette almost before it stopped rolling. He immediately ran to the dented door and tried to pull it open.

"Sam…Sammy are you okay?" Dean was slightly delirious and he couldn't see clearly. He must think that Collins was Sam.

"Dean, hold still, we've got to get you out of there." Dean went limp, and perhaps it was better that he thought Collins was his brother, he never would have taken that order from Drake himself. Without Dean's struggling the door was easier to wrench open. Dean nearly fell onto the ground but Collins caught him by the shoulder. He straightened him up put him on his feet, Dean's eyes slowly came into better focus and he squinted at the man that held his jacket.

"Samm- you." Dean had realized who it was that had a hold of him and he shook the officer off. "Where's my brother?" He asked his head woozy his vision slightly less blurred. Collins sighed; he didn't quite know how to answer.

"He's…."

"Oh my God" Collins was cut off by Cora's terrified voice. He rushed to his sister's side, and instantly had to look away.

"What? What is it?" Dean asked as he rounded the scene of the crunched cars. Cora whipped out her cell phone and quickly dialed 911.

"Maybe you shouldn't see this" Collins said to Dean. Panic gripped Dean's throat and he pushed Collins out of the way, roughly. When he saw his brother's mangled and bloodied body he felt like someone had punched into his chest and ripped out his lungs. He literally fell to his knees next to Sam tears welling up in his eyes already.

"No, no no no, Sammy." Cora walked as far away as she could, the baby still on her hip. She was talking to an operator from the 911 station, who didn't appear to be the brightest.

"Two people that I can see…one's okay, the other…I don't know, yeah, probably…he looks… dead." Her voice was barely above a whisper but Dean heard and he couldn't force down the sob in his throat,

"Sammy."


	10. Something's Starting

**A/N: I would like to thank you guys for all the reviews, you are the reason I keep writing. This was supposed to be a little one shot thingy, but you guys made me continue and you rock!**

* * *

_Deep sobs -  
That start beneath my heart  
and hold my body in a grip that hurts.  
The lump that swells inside my throat  
brings pain that tries to choke.  
Then tears course down my cheeks -  
I drop my head in my so empty hands  
abandoning myself to deep dark grief  
and know that with the passing time  
will come relief.  
That though the pain may stay  
There soon will come a day  
When I can say your name  
and be at peace._

_-Norah Leney_

There are lots of things big brothers aren't supposed to see. Like the distant flashing lights of an oncoming ambulance, the bloodied broken body of their younger selves, the sympathetic stares from the people that are only trying to do their job, but know it's fruitless, and most of all, the flat line that represents what used to be a beating, living, loving heart.

There are lots of things that big brothers aren't supposed to hear. Like the screech of tires and shattering glass, the wail of pain from their very soul, and most of all the shudder and the harsh whisper of, "this kid's gonna die."

There are lots of things that big brothers aren't supposed to go through. Like preparing themselves for death, seeing the shadow overtake them without having any control, and most of all, loosing what family they had left, but unfortunately nothing brings back the dead.

Dean couldn't see, but he'd be damned if he left Sam's broken body, and he was riding in that ambulance even if it killed him. The tears would come with time, but right now Dean held his brother's bloodied, lifeless hand a shocked and hollow look in his eyes and a gaping hole in his heart. He tried to talk but the words got stuck behind the lump in his throat and it was Collins that told the medics Sam's name. He became a mute, not saying a word the entire ambulance ride, just staring, holding his brother's hand with all the fight that was left in him, but eventually even that comfort was ripped away. He was left in a sterile waiting room his brother wrenched from his grasp, and when the physical contact ended, so did his ability to hold back. He wanted to scream, to punch a very large hole in the wall and kill something…anything. But he couldn't, it wouldn't help anything, Sammy was dead. Collins was there as was Cora, but they were keeping their distance. They watched him with their worry filled eyes, their souls filled to the brim with pity and Dean couldn't take it. He didn't need pity, he never wanted it, yet the people around him forced it down his throat. Poor man loosing all he's got, tough guy, beaten down with no control. Dean's eyes suddenly cleared of the overwhelming tears and he walked confidently over to Collins.

"You" he snarled and Collins back up against the wall, he did not want to get in a fight, but they were in a hospital so at least the location was convenient.

"Look, I know you've got to be hurting n-" Dean shut him up with a look as cold as ice but quickly tried to appear more docile as he prepared to ask for a favor...a big one.

"Listen, I've got a job for you, you think you can handle it?"

* * *

Doctor Allison Mitchell was having a bad day, her hair was a mess, her intern was an idiot, and her boss was a jackass. However, the patient that came in bloodied and bruised after a major accident was the worst of it by far. The kid was in his early twenties and would have been rather handsome if he wasn't so broken. His forearms were practically in pieces and his body was littered with cuts and bruises from sharp pieces of windshield, many of which were still lodged in his body. There had to be extensive internal bleeding, and major head trauma. She had seen worse in her fifteen years on the job, enough blood to make her question her choice of profession, but the thing that broke her heart was the family. The kid, Sam, had to be ripped from his brother's arms so she could see if she could salvage any life left in his soulful eyes. She was focused on the patient, but her heart nearly stopped when she saw the look on his big brother's face. He looked so hopeless, so devastated. She saw the look of utter failure in his features and she knew he would trade places with Sam in a heartbeat. One final glance towards him as she rushed into the ER made up her mind, this kid was not going to die.

* * *

"Wait, you want me to dig up this guy, and burn him?" Collins was more then a little skeptical of the despondent Dean who wanted him to destroy a mans corpse.

"Salt it first, and then burn it, yes." Dean didn't have time for this; he just needed Collins to trust him. He could see the reproach in Collins' eyes and his stomach knotted. "Please, you have to; I can't leave…not now." Collins felt bad for Dean, and although it killed Dean to play off of pity this had to be done, and he couldn't do it. Collins looked over at Cora who raised her eyebrows at him and shrugged. Dean shifted his weight from one foot to the other in desperation.

"Drake…" Cora's voice was full of sympathy and apprehension but he ignored herand nodded.

"Okay man, I'll salt this dude and fry him up." Dean's face filled with relief as he explained to Collins just what he had to do.

"You'll have to pick up some salt somewhere. I had some in my trunk but…." His voice trailed off and Collins nodded wanting to avoid any inkling of emotion.

"No problem." He was halfway out the door when Cora caught up with him and grabbed him roughly by the arm, the baby still on her hip.

"You're not actually going to do this are you?" She asked and Collins sighed putting his hands in his pockets. She raised her eyebrows and shook her head, "I don't believe it... you _are_ going to do this…why?" Collins ran a hand through his hair as he tried to explain his actions with words. He tried to rationalize his thinking, but he couldn't, he just had this feeling that he needed to help.

"Just trust me, Cora." He said and she nearly laughed.

"Trust you? Drake, I know you too well to trust you." He smiled and kissed her cheek,

"I'll be fine, Corry, I promise." She didn't believe him but she had no choice but to let him go. He walked out the door and she watched him go with a sigh. She turned around giving Dean a skeptical look and sitting back down on the uncomfortable plastic chair. A few seconds later Collins appeared through the door again a disbelieving look on his face.

"Dean" his voice was full of shock, "is that your car, out there?" Dean immediately jumped up and jogged over to the parking lot an indescribable mix of hope and dread in his heart.

Sure enough, there in the parking lotloaded and waiting was Dean's baby. Dean didn't know what to think. The last time he had seen his car it had been crumpled between two big rigs and now it looked good as new, but he didn't have time to think about it, Sam needed him.

"Here" Dean tossed the keys to Collins, "the salt is in the back." Collins looked at the keys in his hands and back at Dean,

"Are you sure?" He asked eyebrows raiseed;but Dean really didn't have time to think of it as Collins driving his car. His brother needed him to be there and that bastard needed to be burned up.

"You crash her, I'll kill you" he said pointing an accusing finger towards Collins who laughed a little and hopped in. Cora was watching from the doorway and she was more then doubtful when Dean walked back in.

"How is that possible?" She asked eyes transfixed on the black Impala in the parking lot. He stared of into space for a second before coming back to the waiting room.

"It's…not."

* * *

Dr. Mitchell was working very hard to save Sam, but she didn't know if it would be possible. He had gone into cardiac arrest almost immediately, and although she had been able to stabilize him using a defibrillator he was put on a number of machines to keep him alive. A respirator did his breathing for him as she picked out the hundreds of pieces of glass from his body. She splinted his arms and made him as comfortable as possible, but she really didn't think that he was going to make it, and she dreaded having to break this news to the brother.

* * *

"So, if you knew what was going to happen, why'd you get in that car?" Cora and Dean had been talking for a while, and the doctors still hadn't made an appearance.

"It was either me or Sam, and I thought that….well I was supposed to, it wasn't supposed to be him… he's so stupid!" Cora smiled sadly and almost reached out to him, but decided that that would make him uncomfortable; he didn't seem like the kind of guy that was open with his emotions.

"Well, tell me that if it was him, you wouldn't have done the same thing." Her eyes were honest and blunt and he respected that, so maybe that's why he answered.

"I can't, but that's a non-issue, it's never Sam who's supposed to die, I'm supposed to die for him." Cora didn't know what to think; luckily she was saved from having to respond by Dr. Mitchell who entered the waiting room as if on cue. She didn't have his name, but she recognized the brother instantly.

"Excuse me; are you Sam Winchester's brother?" She asked and Dean nodded standing up to face her. Her eyes were sad and Dean could tell almost immediately that whatever she had to say wouldn't be good. "He's suffered multiple severe injuries, including internal injuries, complex fractures of his forearms, and loss of blood." Dean didn't like the sound of _multiple severe injuries _and his breath got caught inside of his chest. "Now, he's hooked up to a respirator and several other life machines, but I'm afraid that it doesn't look like it's going to get any better from here." Dean just stood there, the lump in his throat was suffocating him and the tears that were in his eyes were threatening to fall and he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Can I see him?" He asked already looking over her shoulder at the cold hallway behind the bulky doors. She let out a sigh and was hesitant to let him see his brother in the state that she had left him in, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep this man from his family.

"Sure, he might not be pretty though." Dean couldn't help but crack a signature smirk,

"Well, Sammy has never been the pretty one." He said as she walked him back to Sam's room. Dean had seen Sam at his worst on multiple occasions, bloodied and bruised flesh didn't make him queasy, yet when he walked into that hospital room he felt like he had just gone four rounds with an angry demon. Dr. Mitchell backed out and Dean was left with his little brother's shell of a body. Something about the beeps of the machines and the staleness of the air felt very, permanent…very terminal. He pulled up a chair that was slightly more comfortable then the ones in the waiting room to Sam's bed and let out a sigh.

"You are one stupid son of a bitch, you know that Sammy?" He groaned eyeing over the bruises and cuts that marred his younger brother's body. "Why the hell did you grab that wheel, huh? If you ever do anything like that again…ever, so help me God I will kill you." He looked at Sam as if he was expecting a response, but the only one he got was the beep of the heart monitor. "Come on Sammy" Dean's voice was getting more and more desperate as the silence in the room grew around him and threatened to swallow him whole. "You have to wake up, you can't die here…not like this. You know I'll kill myself, you know that don't you? What did you think you were doing? Did you think you were saving me, Sammy? Well you weren't, you were killing me." He sighed again and put his head in his hands and continued speaking to the floor. "You know my car showed up here totally fixed. I half expected to come back here and see you were completely fixed too, wishful thinking, I guess. I don't know what's going on Sam. I sent that cop to go burn up the guy, I hope he does it, he's got my car, man, I wish you would just wake up and tell me what we should do next, what we research should…..come on Sammy, we don't have time for this."

* * *

Collins had dug up the body salted it and burned it, and he felt like an idiot. He was putting the salt and shovel back in the trunk of the car when he realized just how ridiculous he must look. The faith that he had in the Winchester brothers seemed totally unfounded, but he really just wanted to help. It was something like a Superman complex, he didn't want the cowboys to get shot, he didn't want the heroes to die.

He climbed into the Impala and started back towards the hospital. He was halfway there when he saw the soft glow of headlights in front of him. It looked like a car was heading the wrong way, right towards him. He honked the horn but the car kept coming, and this wasn't just a mini van, this was an eighteen wheeler. He leaned on the horn, and when he looked in the rearview mirror he saw one coming up from behind him as well. He was trapped between two massive trucks, with no way out.The last sound he heard was the screech of tires before it all went black.

* * *

Dean had Sam's hand in his. He realized that this constituted a show of emotions that was borderline girly, but he needed to know that his brother was still warm, was still alive. The steady beep of the monitor also reassured him that Sam was still in there some where, somewhere inside there was still a Sammy to hold onto. However, it was a brief comfort as the beeps got farther and farther apart, and finally the beeps stopped and were replaced by one steady, long, terrifying noise. "Sammy? Sam!" Dean stood up and threw open the door, "hey, hey, help!" He yelled down the hallway for anyone with a stethoscope and a degree to save his brother. Dr. Mitchell heard his cries and rushed in, followed by a few nurses in scrubs. She immediately started barking orders to them but the only one that Dean heard was,

"Please remove his brother" Dean's eyes turned frantic._No._ If he wasn't there then he couldn't watch over Sam, if he couldn't watch over Sam, thenhis little brothermight die.

"No, no I can't leave" Dean wasn't going to compromise but the nurse grabbed his arm, ignoring his statement and started to usher him out of the room as the constant beep echoed in Dean's brain. "No, you don't understand…" His voice was desperate but the nurse just shook her head and kept pushing him out.

"I'm sorry, Sir, you're going to have to exit so the doctors can help your brother." Dean struggled as hard as he could but the old woman with the grip on his forearm was stronger then he expected, and he didn't want to hit an old lady.

"No, please, Ma'me...please." He was still pleading with the medical team as the door got shut sympathetically in his face, the wrinkled woman frowning at him with empathy was the last sight he saw inside of that horrible room. He tried to peer through the small window on the door but he couldn't see much and he could hear hurried footsteps behind him and in desperation he cried out,

"Sammy!"


	11. We'll Figure This Out

Have you ever been in that weird little place, that small pocket of almost consciousness? Have you ever been in that place when everything seems sharper, cleaner, crisper? When you suddenly realize things that you never would have known before, and everything seems so clear and obvious? That place in between sleep and the waking world, that place of clairvoyance that brings you the feeling of wisdom and fearlessness was where Sam found himself. He was pretty sure that something bad had happened, and right as the fuzziness dissipated from his head he could hear the crash, the screeching tires, and the steady beep of the heart monitor with heartbreaking clarity. The first thought that crossed his mind was _I'm dead, I'm dead, I am dead._ The very next thought was, _Dean. _

It was light in this purgatory-like place, and oddly comfortable. Sam had this overwhelming sense of calm and contentment. He was suddenly absolutely sure that everything was going to be alright. There were transparent, glittering forms of people drifting past him, a few seemed to be calling out, a few seemed to be sobbing, but for the most part they were apathetic wanderers whose pale and scintillating eyes were full of peace and closure. There were some that were sitting in groups, laughing and talking without noise, they seemed so happy, so perfect and in tune. Sam looked around but none of the forms met his gaze or looked his way. Those that were sad were perfect in their sadness, and those that were happy were blissful to a point that Sam had never seen before. Yet none of them seemed real, they were like mannequins, smiling people in commercials, or saddened people from soap operas, their veiled wailing made them beautiful in their sadness. Their perfection seemed haunting and Sam sincerely hoped this wasn't his eternity.

* * *

Dean was in the waiting room with Cora unable to tare his eyes from the dirty linoleum as he waited for Dr. Mitchell to reappear. She did show up eventually, her stethoscope around her neck and a defeated look in her eyes. He knew before she told him, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach and he just wanted to throw up.

"Mr. Winchester…I'm sorry." Four words that ended Dean's life, four words that took the meaning from his breath, the shine from his eyes, those four words sent the world crumbling down. He could feel the air slip from between his lips, and the water well up in his eyes, threatening to fall from his tear ducts and break apart what was left of his composure. He couldn't feel the people around him, even as Dr. Mitchell explained that she had done all that she could, but that it just wasn't good enough. He could swear that the ground was spinning under his feet, and that all of the oxygen was sucked from the air around him. He had nothing left, nothing to grab onto, nothing to keep him from falling into that part of him that he secretly feared. He wouldn't talk and he wouldn't move, Cora and Dr. Mitchell both tried, in vain to get him to believe it, to accept the fact that he couldn't do anything, his brother was gone.

Cora bounced the little girl on her knee, as she glanced worriedly towards Dean.

"Do you think that you can move?" she asked as nicely as she could manage, looking at the man who looked like he had just lost everything he had ever loved in his life. Dean didn't respond and Cora continued,

"Can I do _anything?_" Dean still didn't say anything and Cora let out a sigh. Dean just shook his head, the tears spilling over in his eyes and splashing onto the hard linoleum and didn't say a word. A few moments later there was a great commotion as someone was wheeled in on a gurney, surrounded by a group of doctors and fast talking nurses. One of the doctors whipped his head around to a small frail looking nurse,

"Name, we need a name" he barked and she flipped through torn bits of leather that was once a wallet of some kind.

"Collins, Drake Collins." The doctor sighed and slowed down,

"Alright, guys, this one's a DOA" his voice continued but Cora didn't hear it, she almost hit the floor she stared at the bloody heap that was once her brother in awe without moving, or even breathing. She gripped her stomach painfully as if someone had reached in her and pulled out her intestines savagely. The little girl almost toppled out of her lap and Dean caught her just in time. He shushed the baby back from the verge of hysteria and arched an eyebrow at Cora. She tried to settle herself back on a chair ad almost sat on a small silver box.

"What is it?" Dean asked clearing his throat and Cora held it up to her face with a look of confusion and sorrow.

"It's Drake's phone" she said slowly, as if the language was foreign to her, she brought the phone to her ear and gasped "and it's ringing."

* * *

Collins found himself in some sort of nightmare. A place that had a fun house mirror effect, thousands of shimmering figures marching around him in tune to the deep emotions that they were expressing through wails, or laughter, where the very ground seemed to spin underneath his feet. There was nothing solid but a pinpoint of clear and tangible life about a hundred yards from him.

"Hey!" He yelled and whoever it was turned to face him. Collins ran to meet the person and his eyes widened when he saw who it was. "Sam?"

* * *

"That's right Mr. Wallace, we have your daughter, yes, she's fine…of course we'll wait for you to get here." Cora hung up and stared at the little girl in Dean's arms with mixed feelings. "This is too weird" she said and Dean nodded, the fresh pain of Sam's death not ebbing any.

"It's like someone is playing with our heads" he said rubbing his forehead. Suddenly the world seemed to be tilting on its axis. Damn, if only he were as invincible as Sam seemed to think that he was, then he could just fly around the world and turn back time. In his head he was blaring his stereo hoping that the heavy rock would bite back his feelings, just until he was alone. The music in his head got louder and louder until he realized that the music wasn't just playing in his head but blaring through the automatic doors from the parking lot. He warily walked over to the door and peered through the glass. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw his car, not a scratch in sight, parked in front of the hospital. The stereo was blaring and it looked at him like it was daring him, urging him to do something stupid. He reached in his pocket out of habit and was surprised to feel the cold metal of his keys. Cora was right, this was too weird.

* * *

"Drake?" Sam looked…great. His skin glowed, his hair and eyes shined, and his smile was bright enough to light up hell, metaphorically speaking of course.

"Sam, where are we?" Sam shrugged, a smile still on his face. He didn't know, and he didn't care and his happiness was bugging Collins.

"I have no idea" he said rather happily.

"What do you mean you have no idea?" Collins was getting frantic and desperate. Sam's smile didn't disappear as he answered,

"I don't think that we're supposed to be here…I think that we're trespassing." Collins raised his eyebrows and shook his head,

"You okay?" He asked and Sam nodded,

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm….great." Collins sighed,

"I don't think that Cora is." Collins looked down but he saw something in Sam's face change, the light was gone, and a frown replaced the eerie smile,

"Dean."

* * *

"Thank you, Miss. You don't know how much…" Mr. Wallace's voice faltered as he took his little girl in his arms. Cora nodded, tears in her eyes,

"Please, it really was Dean here, and our brothers." Her tears did spill over and she wiped them away hurriedly dipping her head away from the happy father.

"Thanks Dean" he said turning to the elder of the Winchesters, who was staring ahead with a blank look on his face, his eyes focusing on the car that was visible through the glass of the doors. Mr. Wallace raised his eyebrows but continued speaking to Cora. "Next time you see your brothers tell them I said thanks." Mr. Wallace was out the door before he could see the tears fall from both Cora and Dean's eyes. As he watched Mr. Wallace drive away something inside Dean changed. He got up and walked out of the hospital doors quickly. Cora almost didn't notice he was gone but she felt it as he stomped passed her, she could feel some sort of horrible rage and sorrow in his steps.

"Dean, wait!" She hurried after him, her hands shaking. She caught up with him as he was unlocking the driver's side door to his car. "There is no way I'm going to let you drive away in that car." Dean looked up at her, a completely defeated look in his eyes.

"Why not?" He asked and she almost laughed at him,

"Because you'll die!" She said, yet even as the words left her mouth she could see the look in his eyes that told her that was what he had planned.

"Why should you care?" He asked and she looked at him in utter disbelief. She cared because if he died, she would be left alone to deal with this strange case by herself, with no one that understood.

"Look, I don't know what's going on here…" she looked at the ground and she faltered. Tears spilled forth from her eyes and she brought her hands up to cover her face. Dean weakened when he saw her cry, and he sighed.

"I have an idea of how we could save them" he said walking around to the trunk and pulling out the journal.

"What is that?" She asked tucking her hair behind her ears, and wiping her reddening eyes.

"Our answers." He said with a sad little shadow of his smirk, "I'm pretty sure there's something in here that will bring them back." Cora shook her head,

"Dean…I don't understand." She said and he sighed,

"I'll explain, I just need a ride." Cora nodded and reached into her pocket and pulling out her keys. She just wanted to see Drake's face again, smiling, happy, and alive, and if Dean could give that to her, then he was her lifeline. She walked over to her Corvette and nodded,

"Get in."


	12. One Life For One Life Less Worthy

Cora was nervous, and the oddity of her situation sunk in when she was half a mile down the road. Dean was sitting next to her in the passenger's seat staring at one page of some beaten old notebook, muttering to himself. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel when they got closer to the site of the crash. Her lungs became weak and she couldn't breathe as easily, horns and sirens blaring in her ears. She was almost overcome with the memories and the only thing that snapped her back to present was Dean,

"Stop." He said and she obeyed, she didn't even think that there might be a car behind her she simply halted in the middle of the road, thankfully no one else was driving on this damned stretch of highway. He could feel the evil in the air, the very essence of it burned his skin and he wanted to scream. He wanted to punch his hand right through the windshield of the car, but he contained himself, for Cora's sake. _These bastards took my brother_ it was his mantra, something he could repeat to himself to give his body a reason to still function, to live. _And they are going to pay._ He didn't have time for tears yet, maybe he wouldn't have to be the one to cry. He squinted into the blackness in front of them for a good five minutes, and then he saw them. _These bastards took my brother._ Two glowing pinpoints of light, headlights in the distance. He looked in the rear view mirror and sure enough a matching pair was coming up from behind. _And they are going to pay. _

* * *

"Sam, what's going on?" It was Drake whose head was reeling, who needed answers and wanted them now. Sam took a deep breath and gave Drake what explanation he had figured out,

"We're dead. Both of us, we died, no more breathing, heartbeat, gone." He said and Drake nodded,

"Yeah, I kinda figured that much out on my own, Einstein" Sam rolled his eyes and continued,

"But I don't think we're _supposed_ to be dead yet, I think we died before our time, and now we can't go to….wherever it is we're supposed to go. It's like we're in the waiting room for the afterlife." Drake shook his head,

"You mean like purgatory?" Sam shrugged,

"Sort of, I guess, I was thinking about that. But if it is purgatory here….why is it just us? I think we're in pre-purgatory….pre-anything."

"Well, how do we get out?" Drake asked and Sam scratched his head,

"I don't know, but I'm willing to bet that we have a lot of time to figure it out."

* * *

"What are you doing, are you trying to get us killed?" Cora hissed at Dean when she saw the approaching lights.

"Start the engine." He said and she frowned,

"No more orders, explain" she barked and he sighed,

"If those sons of bitches run into us…._we_ die, if they run into each other…"

"They die?" Cora finished for him and he shrugged,

"It might work." He said as she turned the key in the engine,

"And if it doesn't?" She asked and he smirked,

"Never even crossed my mind."

* * *

"Who are these people all around us, then?" Drake asked and Sam peered at the translucent figures that were circling them, eerily unaware of their presence.

"I think those are people who are ahead of us, who are dead and…where they're supposed to be." Drake nodded,

"You realize they're getting more distinct, easier to see." Sam nodded,

"I think that once we can fully see them, our fates, so to speak, will have been decided" Drake nodded,

"We're never getting back, are we?" Sam let out a long sigh, he had been thinking that for awhile, and that had brought him thoughts about Dean, he knew his brother would do anything to bring him back, but what if it hurt him….what if it killed him?

"I don't think so" Sam said and Drake nodded,

"I figured, I mean, no one ever dies and lives to tell about it."

* * *

The horns of the big rigs were blasting in their ears but Cora's eyes had a look of steely determination. She was waiting for the right moment to swerve, right before they were hit, right before the crushing blow of the trucks, she could pull out and ride on to safety as they smoldered behind her, they each being the other's demise. They were getting closer; the road underneath her was shaking with the force. 100 yards, 50 yards, 10 yards, it was all a blur, but then they were close enough and she swerved. She pulled out from in between them the sound of screeching rubber in her ears as she sped on unscathed. Dean let out a whoop beside her as he twisted around in time to see the two evil trucks collide and burst into flame. Cora allowed herself to laugh triumphantly in celebration of her victory. Once she had calmed down she looked at Dean with raised eyebrows,

"How did you know that would work?" She asked and he smiled,

"They're soul riders…the truckers on hell's highway, getting hit by one takes you halfway to hell…two, and you're already there."

"So now that they're gone, our brothers, they'll…" her eyes brimmed with hope and Dean had to look away.

"There still dead" he said softly, and the heartbreak returned to his eyes, "but there's one more thing I can do to help, but you'll have to pull over…please." Cora pulled over a mile down the road and Dean got out and faced the scene of the accident. She stood beside him and he started to speak. "One life for one life less worthy, one that no one will miss. One life for one life less worthy, one that never behaved. One life for one life less kind and caring, one life that will just fade away. One life for one life less worthy, given here is my unworthy life today." Cora was confused but when she felt the earth shake under her feet her eyes grew wide and she quickly hopped to the curb,

"NO" she tried to scream but was not heard over the roar of the two trucks, they were on fire and screaming mad. Both of them were driving down the road at the same time, right towards Dean. She could only watch in absolute horror as the two eighteen wheelers mowed him down.

* * *

Doctor Mitchell had the unfortunate duty of taking the young Winchester's body and preparing it for the morgue. She didn't want to have to do it, to admit defeat and that the young man was dead. One life was gone, and another would never be happy again. She opened the door to Sam's room tentatively and walked in slowly. She was halfway to the bed when she heard the most unbelievable sound in the world, the slow, soft beep of the heart monitor. 


	13. In All My Years In The ER

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm taking so long with this guys, I'll try to be better with updates I promise!**

The roar of the trucks echoed in Cora's ears as they barreled down the last stretch of road, screaming out of sight. She was shaking, her back turned to the road, afraid to turn around and face what must be left of Dean. She turned slowly, unsure of whether or not she could take another trip to the hospital, another dead body, another pair of lifeless eyes. However, what she did see when she turned was not what she expected at all.

"Nurse! Nurse!" Doctor Mitchell cried running to the door, still unsure if all of the graveyard shifts she had pulled over the years had finally gotten to her. She must be seeing things, hearing things. The heart monitor could not be beeping, the kid could not have his eyes open...the kid was dead.

"Dean?" The voice was dusty sounding, like he had just crawled out of the grave. S He tried to ignore the irony in that as she rushed to the boy's side.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm going to have to ask you to sit still." Sam's eyes were wild and every cell in his body ached. The dull throbbing pain made him feel as if he was vibrating, and his head was spinning. The last thing he remembered was Drake's voice sounding afraid and far away,

_"Sam? SAM!" Drake could see him still, but just barley. His form had started fading fast and Drake was afraid that the young man was doomed, and that he'd have to face this waiting room dimension alone. _

_"What's going on?" Sam asked, even his voice sounded like a hollow echo as he faded even more, soon he was nothing more them a form of air, and then…he was gone. _

_"Damn" Drake hissed trying to see which side he had crossed on to. He hoped beyond hope that Sam would wake up in his hospital bed, alive and happy, with his brother by his side. But something told him that it wouldn't be that easy. It seemed like nothing was pain-free for the Winchesters. _

Sam still looked like he had been thrown through a windshield, but his vision was slowly piecing itself back together like a jig saw puzzle. He saw the doctor taking his vitals, and heard her voice like a dull buzzing noise in his ears, like a stupid idle bee had crawled into his brain. He saw the nurses around him one had a needle in his hand.

"Wait…what's that for?" Sam asked widening his eyes at the syringe,

"Please try to calm down" Doctor Mitchell said nodding to the male nurse. The syringe went in his arm and Sam's world went black.

Cora let out a tiny gasp and her big blue eyes got bigger and bluer if that was possible,

"Oh, my God…Drake!" She rushed over to her brother stopping a few feet away from him her hands over her mouth. She was almost afraid to touch him, she was afraid that he was nothing more then a delusion, that she'd wake up from this waking dream and he'd be gone, replaced with dead air. He smiled at her, disbelief in his face.

"Cora? … Cora!" He hugged her and spun her around in one fowl swoop with a laugh of relief. "I can't…how do you... where the hell are we?" He asked running a hand through his hair and looking around at the darkened road with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know…we wrecked those trucks and then he got out and…and…oh, God, Dean!" Cora flashed back to the terrifying scene of the trucks barreling down on the young hero with the meaning gone from his life.

"Dean? Wait…that's his car, right? Where is he?" Drake asked scanning the road for the rough tough young man he had encountered, and had grown to respect despite himself.

"I…" Cora spun around looking for him. She saw a glinting piece of metal squarely where Dean had once been standing. She bent down and held the necklace out in front of her face, "I don't know."

Sam was in that damn dream world again. That place where he had to face the sandman who hated him, and the nightmares that tortured him. Medicated though it was that didn't make it any less terrifying although the sharp lines that normally characterized his nightmares were softer, and his vision was slightly blurry. A figure was standing about a hundred yards away; it had its hands in his pockets. Even from this distance Sam knew who it was, the posture and leather jacket were dead give a ways. But there was something different, something defeated about the way he stood, something devastating about each breath he took.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, he was almost surprised at the amount of joy he felt at seeing his older brother again. The figure turned around and suddenly Sam was about a foot away from him.

"Sammy?" He asked his voice steady, but his eyes were red and Sam could see the complete desolation in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me, Dean" Dean smiled and gave his little brother a quick awkward hug,

"Oh, Sammy, you have no idea how good it is to see you." Sam grinned and took in the very welcomed sight of his brother,

"I'm okay, Dean…I don't know how, but I'm okay." Dean let a little smirk race across his face but he quickly looked away from his brother as a little tear escaped, but Sam pretended not to notice.

"Then why are you here?" Dean asked looking back at his brother, all signs of the offending tear erased. Sam didn't understand at first but the realization suddenly hit him that he was asleep, so either Dean was asleep as well…or…

"Dean, what did you do?" Sam asked fear gripping his throat. Dean looked at the floor again for an instant to gather his thoughts, and then he smiled a bit sadly and looked at Sammy with a slight shake of the head,

"What I had to, little brother." Sam tensed where he stood, knowing now that nothing his brother had to say following that would be good.

"Dean…what does that mean?" He heaved a heavy sigh and continued reluctantly, but with surprising openness.

"I am the one that is supposed to die, not you, Sam. You have a future, and you would be missed. It's my job to protect you, and I knew one day that would mean dying for you…oh, damn it!" He seemed overwhelmed for a second before he quickly snapped back and continued, " my life…that was the one thing I knew I could give to you, to let you know how important you are. And I'm not just saying that because you're my kid brother either, you were going to go to law school…_law _school, I don't know if that shows you how smart you are but you are. I could give you my _life_, the one thing I had to offer that meant anything, so you could have that future you wanted, the future _I_ kept you from …all I want is for you to be happy, to be able to sleep through the night peacefully with some beautiful girl by your side. So when I saw that ritual in Dad's journal, hell, Sammy, I thought, 'that's a cause worth dying for.'" When Dean finished his little loving monologue Sam could feel the familiar biting sting of tears o his eyes and ducked his head.

"Don't talk like that Dean" he said quietly and Dean shook his head shifting his weight uncomfortably.

"Like what?" He asked and Sam let out a breath and ran a shaking hand through his mop of hair.

"Like you're already dead."

The sobering statement sparked a grave moment of silence. Dean wouldn't look at Sam as the fuzziness faded from around him, his nostrils filled with stale hospital room air, and that damn buzzing bee crawled back in his brain. Dean didn't say anything else as he faded from view but Sam was still franticly trying to stay with his brother, even if it was just for another moment. "No…Dean, you didn't…DEAN!" But as sharply as it had cut in the nightmare cut out and Sam found himself back in the hospital surrounded by nurses and doctors.

"It really is remarkable…I've never seen anything like it in all my years in the ER" An elderly graying man held a metal clipboard and was talking to other official looking people. Sam fought down the urge to scream and throw something across the room, if it weren't for the fact that it was almost impossible for him to move any of his limbs he would have seriously objected to be treated like a caged zoo animal.

"Excuse me Doctor Harrison, but the patient seems to be waking" a much younger doctor said with the tune of an admiring grandchild.

"That patients name is Sam Winchester, and I think it would be in his best interest if he was allowed to rest and recuperate in peace. Perhaps you can analyze him and his progress when he regains his strength, thank you." Doctor Mitchell chorused walking into the hospital room with an aura of authority surrounding her. The rest of the doctors seemed to evaporate as Sam closed his eyes and begged sleep to come once more, but with the absence of the drugs sleep was a tricky little minx that Sam couldn't quite pin down. Dr. Mitchell looked stressed and she spoke in harsh tones to a young nurse, Sam caught the end of the conversation,

"Gone? Are you sure?" The young nurse asked and Dr. Mitchell nodded,

"Yes, the body is just gone! I don't know what is going on but somebody better find Drake Collins, and find him now!" The nurse scurried out of the room and Sam let a little bit of hope enter his heart, Drake must be alive too, and despite himself Sam let out a little laugh, which really sounded like a sob, that hurt his ribs for the stubbornness of his brother, and how much he loved that pain in the ass.

"Cora, where are you going?" Collins asked, his sister's eyes had narrowed and her knuckles were white because she was gripping the steering wheel so tightly,

"Back to the hospital, we have to see Sam." She said her voice monotone and single minded.

"Corry, Sam is dead" Collins said sounding genuinely sorry. Cora took a deep breath and sped up,

"I don't think so" Cora said biting her bottom lip and Collins shook his head,

"Cora…we saw him, the accident, Cora…_I _saw him, wherever the hell I was…" his voice faded out as he remembered Sam's disappearing form,

"And here you are" she said defiantly Collins nodded and rubbed his eyes with his hands,

"So that means that Dean is…" Cora frowned and wasn't surprised as tears blurred her vision, but she quickly blinked them away,

"Dean will be fine." She said with a nod; and anyone looking in that car at that moment at the fiery red head would have believed her.


	14. It Was You

**A/N: I can't even begin to explain the craziness that has been my life these past few weeks, so I'm sorry I haven't been too regular with the updates, but school is almost over so I should have more time for the fan-fics I love to write. Thanks a bunch, your reviews are always appreciated and savored! DeedeeSmith**

Dark. Dark and cold, that's the only way to describe it, but it couldn't be that bad, at least he was feeling, _something._ Dean's eyes slowly opened, it was a slicing pain in his head and he couldn't remember if it had always been this way. Did it always burn to breathe?

"Well, you are in some deep shit, boy." The voice wasn't harsh or mean as a rough, calloused hand grabbed Dean's shoulder. He winced, expecting pain but none came. His eyes were open and suddenly he was somewhere different, better. It was still dark but the room was comfortably dark, as if a glowing warm fire was not too far away, and he sat up feeling the softness of cushions around him. His response to the fatherly voice was automatic and it slipped out before he thought about it,

"Yes, Sir." He laughed and it sounded like the pouring of a dusty bottle of brandy,

"Good boy" he said and Dean's eyes focused more closely at the man in front of him.

"Evan?" He asked and it was so, the old coon hunter Evan Boone was sitting in front of him with a satisfied smirk on his lips. Dean should have known the room he was in felt more like a cave then a house yet it was almost pristine in its cleanliness.

"Eureka and the mind of the hunter has cleared." Evan said and Dean struggled to sit up, but found that it hurt to do so.

"Evan, what the hell is going on?" Dean asked, his usually strong voice was withered and dehydrated, and it seemed to blow away after it left his lips.

"Oh, so you don't know" he said guilt lining his voice,and Dean would have screamed in frustration if it didn't feel like his entire rib cage had been smashed. Evan seemed to get the gist of Dean's feelings from his expression and spoke again before the battered boy in front of him tried to move, "then let me explain it to you."

"Okay, Cora, is it?" Doctor Mitchell was almost desperate as she stared down the petite red head in front of her, "you have got to tell me what is going on, because as of right now, your brother is legally dead, and so is Sam Winchester….the problem is, neither one of them is actually dead. So, unless you want to explain this to the nurse that has to do the paperwork, you explain yourselves….now." Cora smiled, trying to hide the turmoil that was raging inside of her as her stomach twisted into a horrible knot,

"I'm not sure that I can do that." She said and Drake looked at the floor feeling very sheepish, and almost sorry that he had woken up in the first place. Doctor Mitchell let out a sigh and shook her head,

"Then I'm not sure that I can let you see Sam right now" she said and Drake's head popped up the sheepish look in his eyes now border lining on panic,

"Please" he said. It was the first time he had spoken since they had gotten there and Doctor Mitchell was caught off guard. She looked at the man that was supposed to be dead and pressed her lips into a thin line, determined to stand her ground. She started to take in a breath to respond but he cut her off as if he knew what she was going to say and he had to stop her from crushing what he had left for answers. "Please" he repeated, "you have no idea what he's going through, and he has no one to help him out of it, he has nothing right now, and … you have to let us see him….you have to." Doctor Mitchell felt very heavily the absence of the older Winchester at that moment and she went against every ounce of protocol inside of her and nodded,

"just be quick."

Evan was taking his time explaining the situation and Dean could feel the frustration building up inside of him, "you see, I may have had something to do with this" he said as vaguely as humanly possible.

"Look, I just got hit by two major trucks, so I don't really have the nerves to mince words here, Evan, just tell me what is going on." Dean knew that he was being harsher then he should be but he didn't really care at the moment.

"Look, kid, don't get snippy with me, I'm getting to my point. This whole thing, it all might be my fault." If he had been able to move Dean would have ripped into the old man before he could finish his story.

"_What?_" Dean's voice came out so forceful and grating that it caught Evan off guard and the seasoned cowboy had to look away.

"Look, I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, none of this went as planned." Dean's frustration turned to hot anger as he struggled with his aching muscles to move, to attack, to do something.

"What the hell did you do, you bastard!" Dean growled like a pit bull ready to strike, but Evan didn't seem fazed. He just shifted a little under Dean's fiery gaze,

"I wanted that ghost dead, damn it! He was killing kids and it was eating away at me. I didn't think you boys had it covered so when I heard about the trucks, from these old superstitious guys in the town….I….I." His voice faltered and the old confidence that came with age and experience disappeared from the lines on his face. Dean wanted to scream, but all he could manage was a vehement,

"It was you" Evan nodded and looked down.

"You boys just got in the way, I didn't mean for it" He stopped and started again with only a slight hiccup in his voice, "I'm sorry about your brother, and so when you called up those big rigs, I had to send them back, I knew that they couldn't _cross over_ so to speak for quite some time, but you and that girl…I could see that it was killing you and, I'm sorry...I had no idea, you sacrificed yourself for him and I couldn't let it go on, Dean...I'm so sorry" Dean felt the blood surge to his muscles and the dull ache that plagued all of his limbs ebbed away slowly.

"Can I go and see my brother now?" Dean asked, not giving Evan the absolution he needed, insteadhe ignored his pleas.Feeling extremely relieved that his strength was returning Dean felt like he couldfinally breathebut the fear grabbed his throat again as Evan refused to meet his eyes once more,

"It might not be that easy, Dean."

"Sam" Cora was holding the hand of the man she barley knew, but she felt that she needed to physically give him some reassurance of his stability, now that Dean couldn't be here.

"Dean?" He asked groggily opening his eyes again to find a concerned looking Cora and a shocked looking Collins standing in the corner, looking like he was having trouble standing on stable ground.

"No, Sam…he's not here." At first Sam couldn't get his mind around the idea that Dean wasn't there, Dean had always been there. The only solution must be that Cora was lying and he twisted his head around the room looking for the familiar form of his brother, but he wasn't there and Sam remembered his medicated dream. he's in trouble." Cora looked from Drake to Sam and back again squeezing his hand a little harder,

"I know, Sam" she said, "I was hoping that you could help us" she said and Sam nodded a bit too eagerly and the room went spinning,

"Anything, anything you need." He insisted and Cora smiled a bit sadly,

"I need you to get better, fast" she said and Sam squinted up at her the fluorescent lights humming above her made her look like an angel,

"I can do that" he said with a slight smile.

"Good" she whispered letting go of his hand and motioning Collins to follow her out of the room. He obliged and shook his head,

"I still can't believe he's alive" Collins said once they were safely outside of the hospital room,

"I just hope he stays that way" Cora said heading down the hallway.

Sam unclenched his hand and found Dean's necklace in his hand where Cora had previously held him. He let out a quick sigh and closed his eyes once more, hoping that if sleep found him Dean wouldn't be making an apperance.


	15. Try not to crash

Dean was enraged and back to his full strength now, a formidable sight in front of the old hunter.

"What the hell do you mean it might not be that easy?" He asked and Evan blinked as if Dean were just some annoying gnat in his way rather then the angry Winchester that was something to be feared.

"What I mean is, you've been dead for a while, son, I pulled you out because I felt bad, but getting back up and going back might just be too hard." Dean squinted at the old man and determined that he was probably speaking from experience, but it didn't matter.

"Nothing is too hard if it means I get to see my brother again." Dean said and he marched towards the door. Evan smiled at Dean and shook his head,

"You are just like your father" he said and that stopped Dean in his tracks. "He just won't give up either, won't call it a day. Hell, he won't call it a _lifetime_, there is no way I could coax him to leave his boys when it was his time, it must be a family trait." Dean wanted to turn around and sit across from Evan again, wondering what power this old coon hunter had that Dean was unaware of. How he had the ability to pull people in and out of the current of life so easily, a skill that could take hundreds of years for a demon to learn. Dean narrowed his eyes once more, _a demon_ he thought feeling his coat pockets for any weapons that he might have with him, anything that might aid him on his way out. "I'm not evil" Evan said interrupting Dean's thoughts. _That's what they all say. _"I work for the good guys, I promise" he said and Dean tilted his head up to look at the man who was standing in front of him now. "You just have to trust me, I'm not perfect, but I'm on your side." Dean found it hard to believe what the old man was saying but when he looked into his eyes there was no evil there, just warmth and hope, two things that had been snuffed out in Dean a long time ago. Well, snuffed out in regards to everything but _Sammy._

"I-I have to go" Dean said twisting the doorknob of the little cave-like house and stepping out into the air. Evan was right, it was hard. Every cell in his body screamed out to crawl back into the darkness that they had been accustomed to, but Dean forced them back into the light and trudged on, what felt like miles was actually four steps and Dean realized that it was going to be a lot harder without a car.

"Hey!" A woman's voice called out to Dean when he had managed to take ten steps into the world, his body aching to be back in the house with Evan, but he refused it and looked up.

"Cora?" He squinted through the sun light and managed to see a blue Corvette waiting outside for him.

"You need any help?" It was Collins who was asking and Dean felt a pang of pure white hope run through him at the sight of the other man who was thought to be dead.

"No, I can walk this one" Dean said finding newfound strength in his legs he took the next ten steps with a lot less difficulty and was soon in the back seat of the car, severely proud of himself. "How'd you know where I was?" He asked and Cora waved a silver cell phone in his direction,

"I got a call from this old man, Evan. He said you were at his house….I don't know how he got my number though." Dean didn't want to think about it, he just wanted to see Sam.

"Can we go to the hospital now?" He asked and Cora smiled revving the engine and turning around.

"Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven" Sam had counted all of the ceiling tiles twice and was now triple checking his work as boredom ate away at his skull. Every second felt like a minute, a minute like an hour, and hour like a day…and it had been god knows how many days. He could feel the footsteps outside of his door, waiting for the confident swagger that he needed to hear approaching but none came, and he waited. "Seventy-one, seventy-two, seventy-three" and then he heard what he thought were the right footsteps coming ever closer. His breath got caught in his throat and he quickly lost count. The footsteps stopped and Sam's heart cried out for his door to open, but his lips remained pressed tightly together as he waited. The doorknob turned and Sam prayed to anything that would listen to not have it be the old nurse who asked him everyday if he'd like a sponge bath. He shuddered at the thought as the door opened and in popped the one person he had been waiting to see.

"Dean!" He said a grin spreading across his face as his older brother walked in, looking a little battered but alive.

"Hey Sammy" he said his voice coming dangerously close to choked up territory. He walked over to his brother's bed slowly as if he wasn't sure if the floor could support him now with the new weight he carried on his shoulders. He reached his brother's bed and smiled, "you ready to get out of here?"

They were an odd foursome standing in the parking lot of the hospital, no one knew quite what it was they were supposed to say as they lined up to say their goodbyes. Dean had been a little wary about getting back in the Impala but he figured that the crazy mojo surrounding it would have worn off, plus he couldn't stay mad at his baby. Sam was looking fine, no worse for his stint in pre-purgatory, and Collins actually looked better, purer somehow. Cora was standing across from Dean and she looked like she hadn't slept in years, Dean gave her a quick hug and nodded, no verbal goodbye but he told her, in his way that everything was going to be alright. Collins stood across from Sam and they shook hands, the only two people to ever share an experience like theirs, and they would probably never see each other again.

"Take care of yourself, Sam" Collins said and Sam smiled ant him,

"You too Drake" And then they switched, Collins shook Dean's hand and the eldest brother actually smiled,

"You know, you're alright Collins" he said and Drake grinned,

"You're not so bad yourself, Dean" he said and he knew he had made a powerful ally, if you help save his brother; you've got Dean on your side for life. Once Cora and Sam had said their goodbye the two pairs of siblings got into their respective cars and waved to each other one last time before turning in opposite directions down the highway.

The car was emerged in a comfortable silence, but a fidgety Sam just had to break it,

"Dean" he said softly and Dean looked over at his brother, "how?" Dean didn't need an explanation he just sighed and shifted in his seat.

"Evan" he said and Sam raised his eyebrows but didn't look too surprised,

"But how….I mean, how could we….just how?" He asked and suddenly an image of five year old Sam flashed in front of his eyes, the one that wouldn't stop asking questions, and he was so glad. But he wasn't nine anymore, he didn't need to have all the answers, Sam would understand, and Sam would still feel as safe as he ever has, which, when he thought about it, wasn't much.

"I don't know" he said with a small sigh not wanting to look at his brother yet, not until he accepted things, he didn't think that he'd ever uttered those three words together to his little brother and he didn't catch the impact that they had on his previously porcelain face.

"That's okay" Sam said sinking down in the passenger's seat and looking out the window, "just drive." Dean smiled and nodded revving the engine and continuing on, "Hey Dean?" Sam said in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks" Sam said a little sheepishly, "you are the only person I know who would take two trucks in the face for me…and, I want you to know how much that means to me."

Dean raised his eyebrows and twisted around to look at his little brother,

"How did you –"

"Cora told me" Sam said interrupting and Dean looked down, nodding a silent

_You're welcome. _"Here" he said taking out the necklace from his pocket and

handing it to Dean.

"Thanks…I mean; well…it's just…." Sam laughed and cut off his brother in the middle of his sentimental moment,

"I know, man….I love you too." Dean's startled face looked over at his brother like he had just been sucker punched.

"Wha- dude…I…" Dean heaved a heavy side and his shoulders looked like they had deflated a little, his façade falling away from him in one foul swoop, "good to hear." The silence fell over them again and Dean was supremely glad, unfortunately Sam wasn't quite done yet.

"oh and Dean, are you okay driving now…I mean after all this, we could…I dunno, walk?" Sam asked with a small smile threatening to cross his face.

"Trust me, Sammy, I'm good" Dean said pushing the gas a little harder the dashes on the road leaping up at them in a flicker of yellow.

"Good" Sam said "please, just try not to crash."


End file.
